


Shattered Souls

by morgoth205



Series: The Wilted Rose [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-23
Updated: 2018-06-23
Packaged: 2018-11-17 14:13:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 53,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11276946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morgoth205/pseuds/morgoth205
Summary: Beacon has fallen and the foundations of the world have been shaken. Many were killed, and those that survived didn't do so unharmed. After everything that happened, can the pieces be picked up? Can redemption be found?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Characters will be tagged upon entry.

The sound of shattering glass ripped Yang from sleep. She rolled out of bed, landing on her feet, and grabbed Ember Celica from the nightstand. Feeling more secure with a weapon, she crept out into the hallway. The early morning light was filtering through the windows, bathing the inside of the house in sunlight. Yang stood still for a moment, listening. 

Hearing nothing, she moved toward the stairs. The wooden floor was smooth beneath her feet as she silently made her way down the stairs. Entering the living room, the first thing she noticed was that none of the windows were broken and the door was still shut. Checking it, she found that it was still locked. Nobody had gotten in that way. She crept slowly toward the kitchen, arms raised in a defensive position.

Entering the kitchen, Yang found the source of the sounds. Her father lay slumped in a chair, breathing softly. He was out cold. Next to him, scattered on the floor, were the shards of a bottle of whiskey. The amber liquid was spreading slowly across the floor, filling the room with the stench of alcohol. It was a smell Yang had gotten used to over the last few months, although she wished he hadn't. Qrow had told her that her dad would be in denial too, but he was wrong. 

Taiyang had already taken more hits than one person should have to, and the news of Ruby’s supposed death had finally shattered him. He’d found his way to the bottom of a bottle and built a house there. Yang had tried to hide the alcohol from him but so far he’d always managed to find more. She supposed she should talk to the liquor store owner, see if she could get him to stop selling to Taiyang. Seeing him like this was almost more than she could handle, he was even worse than he’d been when Summer died. She’d tried to get Qrow to help, but he’d said something about being ‘bad luck’ and left to chase down a lead about Cinder.

Sighing, Yang grabbed a broom and started to sweep up the bottle. Just as she finished sopping up the alcohol, Taiyang stirred. Recognizing the signs she quickly grabbed the trashcan, not wanting to have to clean up the floor _again_. “Thanks,” he muttered, slumping forward onto the table. Yang grabbed him by the arm and lifted him to his feet, supporting him as she dragged him to bed. When they got to his room his just fell into his bed, he muttered something she didn't understand. Yang made sure to turn him so he was lying on his side. Running back to the kitchen, she grabbed a glass of water and left it on the nightstand. She had to stop this before he killed himself. Maybe one of the teachers could help.

Her dad taken care of for now, Yang went to check in on Blake. She was a little surprised she hadn't already seen her. The Faunus girl had been on edge since the Battle of Beacon, even the smallest sounds would startle her. Yang cautiously opened the door to the guest room Blake was in, peeking around the door. The curtains were drawn and the room was nearly pitch black. Blake seemed to like it that way. She was still laying in bed, apparently sound asleep. Yang caught the faint scent of lavender, which always seemed to follow Blake wherever she went. She was glad Blake was here. Blake’s quiet, steady presence helped her more than the Faunus girl would ever know.

Yang closed the door gently, wanting Blake to get as much sleep as she could. Her wounds were nearly healed but she still needed rest. A few days after the Fall Yang had written a letter to Blake’s parents and sent it home with one of the other Menagerie students. She hadn't heard back yet, but that wasn't surprising. Mail was always unreliable on Remnant.

Yang went back to the kitchen and took out the trash, not really wanting to deal with a house that smelled like vomit. She was glad Ren was coming over today, she needed the help. He’d been helping her when he could, saying that him and Nora only had to take care of Jaune while Yang had two people to care for. Whatever his reasons, she was glad he was helping out. Nora and Jaune would probably come with him too. She was glad about that as well. It was hard to feel sad when Nora was in the room. Jaune had been better lately too. He recovered pretty quickly from the wound the Nevermore had given him, but Pyrrha’s death had hit him harder than anyone.

Satisfied that the house was clean again, Yang went upstairs and changed into her running clothes. She was thankful that winter was on its way out. Though she’d never really had issues with being cold, running in the snow wasn't pleasant. Her shoes tended to get soaked, especially when she was in a bad enough mood that the snow started to melt. Yang laced up her shoes and opened the front door, inhaling the cool early spring air. She spent a minute getting stretched out and then took off.

She ran nearly every day. It helped her clear her mind. If she ran fast enough, the burning in her lungs and her legs helped her forget what happened. Forget seeing Weiss laying on the ground, looking confused. Seeing Ruby huddled over Weiss’ body, hands desperately searching for a sign of life. Yang still didn't understand what had happened. Why had Ruby killed Weiss? What had she missed? Could she have prevented all this if she’d paid more attention?

She felt tears burning in her eyes, and she ran faster. She wanted to go, try and track down Ruby. More than anything Yang wanted to give her baby sister a hug, to know that someone else hadn't left forever. She shook her head, trying to clear those thoughts. She couldn’t leave right now, not with her dad determined to drink himself to death and her closest friend still hurt. Besides, she knew whose fault this really was. Ruby had changed after she met _her_. Her hands balled up into fists and her eyes flashed red. Yang swore that she’d kill Cinder if she ever saw her again, mystical maiden crap or not. 

By the time Yang got back home, she was panting heavily and her entire body was tired. She slowed to a walk and started down the driveway. The sun had fully risen by now, and a warm breeze brought the smell of early spring. Yang got to the front door just in time to see a black-haired young woman closing it softly, a bag sitting on the ground next to her.

“Blake?”

* * *

_The tip of the red steel blade bit into her stomach again, causing Blake to cry out in pain. “If you’re going to kill me just do it,” she hissed, panting. She could hear people screaming outside, and she could smell the fires nearby._

_“Kill you?” Adam said, “Your betrayal deserves so much more than that, my love.” Hearing him call her that made her sick. He stabbed down again, eliciting another scream. “First I’m going to make you feel how I do. I’’ll make you suffer the pain of losing loved ones, as you did to me.” She watched in horror as he turned to Yang and neatly sliced her in two._

_Yang’s eyes were accusing. “This is your fault,” she said with her dying breath_  
.  
“No!” Blake screamed. Adam walked up to Ruby next, raising his sword. She tried to stand but she couldn’t move. She reached for Gambol Shroud and found it, shifting it into its pistol form. She fired it at Adam, but he vanished at the last second. The bullet went straight into Ruby’s chest, forcing a gasp out of her. Adam turned to her, a wide smile on his face. 

_“Everything you do just makes others suffer, my love.”_

Blake’s eyes snapped open as she heard the door to her room creak open softly. She quickly closed them to a slit, hoping that she appeared to be asleep. She saw Yang poke her head into the room. The blonde was always checking in on her. Yang cared so much and Blake loved her for it. That was why she had come to a decision. She had to leave, whether or not she actually wanted to. The idea had been bouncing around in her head for a while now, but it had taken her a long time to build up the resolve to leave Yang behind. She loved Yang, she was a better friend than Blake ever thought she would have.

Adam had sworn to Blake that he would destroy everyone she loved, and she couldn’t risk anything bad happening to Yang. With everything that happened at Beacon, Blake couldn’t bear to lose anyone else. She knew Yang would probably hate her, but that was for the best. Blake could live with that, as long as it kept Yang safe. As much as Blake hated being alone, she hated the thought of Yang suffering even more.

She crept out of bed and silently began to gather her things. She could hear Yang moving around in the house, probably getting ready for her morning run. That was when Blake had decided she would leave. It would be easier that way.

Carefully, Blake prodded at her wounds. They had mostly healed, thankfully. Blake didn't know what she would do without aura. She did some experimental stretches, and found that she had a decent range of movement. She would have to be careful not to push herself too hard, but she didn't plan on doing that anyhow. Boat rides weren’t exactly known for being stressful. 

She heard the door close and peeked out the curtain. The sudden shock of light nearly blinded her, but she caught sight of Yang stretching. She simply stared for a moment, wanting to capture every memory she could. Yang took off running and Blake got ready to do the same.

She opened the door to her room and snuck out into the house, keeping an eye out for Yang’s father. She didn't expect to see him, not conscious at least. He’d been perpetually drunk since he found out that Ruby had died. Blake understood that. She had cried for a while when Yang told her. They’d cried together. She didn't share Yang’s optimism about Ruby. People didn't usually go missing like she had and turn up alive.

She still didn't know what to make of Ruby’s sudden turn. She had noticed the girl was angrier and more violent than usual, but she had no idea things would get to the point where Ruby would brutally execute Weiss. It was like seeing Adam change all over again. It seemed like everything Blake touched was ruined.

Blake stopped and forced herself to focus. She had a job to do. She went into the kitchen and started to write a letter for Yang. It didn't explain everything, and it didn't tell Yang where she was going. It was mostly an apology. Blake needed to keep her, and everyone else she loved, safe. The only way to do that was to leave.

Blake wrote and re-wrote the letter a few times, never quite satisfied with what it said. Eventually she realized she was spending too much time on it and decided to just go with what she had. It wasn't like the letter would keep Yang from being angry anyway. Blake finished the letter and attached it to the fridge. Then she gathered her things and took one final look around the house. It was cozy, warm and inviting. She wished she could stay. 

Taking a deep breath, she stepped outside. The cool morning air bit into her skin, and she wished that her coat covered a little more. She quietly shut the door and was reaching for her bag when she heard the last thing she’d wanted to.

“Blake?”

Every instinct that Blake had was telling her to run, to escape. Something in Yang’s voice stopped her. She turned and saw Yang standing there, sweat dripping from her body. Her eyes were red and puffy. Had she been crying? “Blake what are you- are you leaving?” Yang shouted. There was a pleading note to it; she sounded afraid. Blake’s resolve started to falter.

“I-” Blake’s ears were pressed flat to her head and her eyes were locked on the ground. She couldn’t bear to look at Yang right now. She had to leave. It was what was best for Yang. “Yang, I have to. You won’t be safe if I’m here.”

“What? What do you mean? Why not?”

“It-it’s Adam,” Blake said, trying to maintain a steady tone, “he swore he’d destroy everyone I love. As some kind of insane punishment. So I have to leave. I have to make him think that I don't care so you’ll be safe. Yang, I can't bear to see you hurt anymore. Especially not because of me.” Blake’s eyes were still firmly on the ground. She felt horrible.

“You don't want me to get hurt, and yet you’re leaving too?” Yang said. Her voice sounded somewhere between anger and despair. “Blake please, you can't leave me. You’re the only one keeping me together. I don't know… Blake, leaving will hurt me more than anything that psycho could do.” Yang had stepped closer to Blake, but Blake still forced herself to look away. She didn't know if her resolve would hold up to seeing Yang like this.

“Yang, if I stay he’ll come for you. He’ll-”

“Fine!” Yang shouted suddenly. “Leave me like everyone else. Why should you be any different?”

Blake’s eyes snapped up to Yang. Her face was blank, but her eyes were filled with tears. Blake winced inwardly. This wasn't what she’d wanted to happen. “Everyone else?” she asked quietly. 

“Everyone close to me leaves eventually,” Yang said softly. “Qrow, my mom – both of them,” her voice caught, “Ruby.” Yang rubbed at her eyes, trying to wipe away the tears. “Hell, my dad’s pretty much gone too. He may still live here but he’s not the same anymore. For a while I thought maybe you’d be one who didn't leave. I should have known better.” She started to cry, not even bothering to hold back the tears any longer. “Is there something wrong with me?” she asked in a quiet, desperate voice.

Blake felt like a complete monster. Yang was in so much pain, and it was her fault. Yang was just standing there, tense. Tears were falling freely down her face. Blake finally looked into those violet eyes and saw the desperation there, the terror mixed with sadness. She had expected anger, hate. She had _wanted_ that. She could _live_ with that. The last thing she had wanted, the last thing she had expected, was to see Yang react like this. To see Yang break down in tears. Blake’s resolve finally crumbled.

Blake stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Yang in a tight hug. Yang instantly responded, hanging on to Blake with such desperation that it hurt. “I’m sorry,” Blake sobbed, clutching Yang tighter. “I’m so sorry.”

“Please don’t leave me,” Yang said into Blake’s shoulder. She was shaking.

Blake stood there for a moment, holding her friend. She didn't know what to do. Staying meant endangering Yang, but leaving was out of the question. She wasn't strong enough to leave. “I won’t leave, Yang. I promise,” she said. She meant it too. She was lost and didn't know what to do, but she would keep that promise. Yang hugged her even tighter, whispering a word of thanks. Now Blake just had to figure out what to do to keep Yang safe. To keep them both safe.

* * *

Pain greeted Cinder upon waking, as it did every day. More than half her body was covered in burns. Burns that ungrateful little brat had inflicted on her. Her beauty had been stolen, leaving only pain and smoldering rage behind. Rage that had no target, since the one who did this to her had been left for dead. Ruby should count herself lucky that the Grimm were the ones that killed her, Cinder would have done so much worse. She would just have to take her rage out on the rest of Remnant instead.  
Wincing at the pain, she sat up in her bed and lit a candle. The flickering orange light did nothing to brighten the room. Instead, the shadows cast made the room seem more sinister. The light seemed to be absorbed by the pitch black stone, as though not even it could escape Salem’s presence. 

The room itself was large and square. This deep in the palace there were no windows. Thick, lush carpets covered the stone on the floor, as well as a few tapestries. They were less for decoration than to help keep the room warm. Not that Cinder needed help to feel warm these days. Between the awesome power of the maiden’s mantle and her burns she was never cold. Thankfully, the burns had finally started to heal with the help of the…creature that Salem had attached to her.

Cinder got dressed slowly, trying to keep the act as painless as possible. After she was done she went over to the door leading out of the bedroom and into the central area of her suite. Emerald and Mercury awaited her there, as was only proper for servants. “I brought breakfast for you Cinder,” Emerald said as she noticed her. Cinder nodded and sat down to eat. “What's today’s plan?” she asked.

“ _Training,_ ” Cinder rasped, “ _Meeting._ ” Talking was still difficult. That night, on the hill, Cinder had screamed as the silver light touched her. It was pure agony. Unfortunately, the act of screaming had allowed the light to get inside of her. Her throat had been burned along with the rest of her. She was, Cinder thought bitterly, lucky that she could even speak at all. Just one more thing to get vengeance for. Maybe she would go after the brat’s older sister. Surely Ruby would be happy to have her family join her. That thought brought a slight smile to her face.

Breakfast eaten, she left Emerald and Mercury behind as she made her way to the training area. She didn't need an interpreter to fight. That was one thing she could still do alone. As she was walking Cinder heard a voice that made her want to set the palace on fire.

“Ah finally up are you?” Watts said from behind her. “And here I was hoping that you would miss the meeting today. I guess not everything turns out how you want it. I’m sure you know quite a bit about that.” Cinder turned, growling. She started to say something but it just led to a coughing fit. “It’s a pity that the child who did this to you was killed. I would have liked to reward her for making my day less annoying. Although honestly I’m not sure if enough wealth exists to reward that service.”

Cinder glared at him, conjuring a flame in her open hand. He simply gave her a condescending look, clearly unafraid. “You know as well as I do that you won’t do anything, girl.” Watts stepped closer. “Salem would be...displeased if you did.” Cinder growled, knowing her was right. Unfortunately for everyone, Watts was still useful. She turned and stalked away. That wouldn’t last forever. One day he would outlive his usefulness, and he would burn. Cinder would enjoy that day.

She reached the training area a few minutes later. She nodded to the Seer. It clicked at her and floated away. She began to hear growling coming from the darkness, and suddenly a Beowolf Alpha lunged at her. She called upon the maiden’s power and ripped it to shreds. This went on for a while, until Cinder’s lungs were burning. “ _Stop_ ,” she rasped as loud as she could. One final Grimm came at her as the Seer clicked. Cinder slew both of them with a single, wide swipe of her arms. Satisfied with her progress for the day, she made her way back to the main part of the palace.

Along the way she picked up Emerald and Mercury, knowing she would need one of them to speak for her at the meeting. Opening the massive double doors, Cinder walked to the table and took her seat. Watts regarded her with open disdain and went back to his scroll. Tyrian smiled and chuckled at her, and Hazel simply ignored her. She liked him the most. She would still kill him if she needed too, but at least he wasn't annoying like the other two.

A moment later the doors flew open and Salem strode into the room. The way she walked made it seem more like she was floating, and as she passed the crystals that made up the furniture began to glow more brightly. “Cinder,” Salem said, “how are you coming along with your training?”

Cinder waived Emerald over and whispered to her. “She says it is going well. She expects to be back in fighting shape soon.”

Watts rolled his eyes. “Do you have a problem, Arthur?” Salem asked.

“I just wonder how the woman that is barely able to speak is going to be of any use to us.”

“Cinder is our Fall Maiden. Once she recovers she will be one of the strongest living creatures on Remnant.”

“And yet she was beaten by a small child. Silver eyes or no, someone as supposedly powerful as her should have been able to handle a 15 year old.”

“It is because of the silver eyes that Cinder lost that fight. Novice or not, silver eyes are inherently strong against the Grimm. Cinder made use of a parasite to gain her power, and because of that it was tainted. Cinder carries a small bit of the power of Grimm within her, making her vulnerable.” Salem turned her gaze to Emerald. “Which is why her underling should be commended for killing one of the last silver-eyed warriors, and the only one known to have been able to access their power.” Salem nodded to Emerald, who bowed deeply.

“Now, on to other business. Tyrian, how goes your hunt for the Spring Maiden?”

* * *

Sunlight flooded into the cave, pulling Ruby from sleep. Opening her eye, she stretched and put her cloak back on. It made a decent blanket, even as tattered as it had become. She threw more wood onto the fire and heated up the last of her food. She would need to hunt more down soon. She ate and then grabbed her weapon, moving toward the mouth of the cave.

Squinting at the light, she noticed that some of the snow had melted overnight. That meant that it was probably warm enough for her to sleep outside without freezing to death. Warm enough to travel. Nodding, Ruby went back into the cave and put out the fire. She tightened her makeshift eye patch, threw up her hood, and started to walk.

“It’s about time, dunce.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, it is so much easier to write stuff when you do it from more than one character's viewpoint. 
> 
> I went back and forth a few times on whether or not to have Ruby in this chapter or not appear at all until next chapter. In the end, I decided to include her here for two main reasons:
> 
> #1, I'm sure that most of you assumed she survived anyway.  
> #2, the way this chapter ended is a much more interesting way to end it.


	2. Chapter 2

Ruby sighed, pointedly ignoring her. She finally had a chance to find out where she was. After Beacon, Ruby had simply woken up here, a bandage wrapped around her head and Crescent Rose lying next to her. She had no idea how she got here. She had spent most of that first day in tears, fighting off the occasional Grimm that her emotions brought. They were harder to fight now. Everything was harder, but she didn't care. She deserved far worse than losing an eye.

Once she recovered a little she tried to find out her surroundings. She had walked for a few days and come upon nothing but more forest. Unfortunately it had started to get colder and snow occasionally. Luckily, she had found a cave she could stay in, it even had a natural chimney so she could light a fire. Ruby was glad that her father had insisted on teaching them some survival skills. She’d be dead now otherwise. Some days she wished she was, but something kept her holding on. She didn't know what.

The day after she found shelter, she carefully climbed the rock outcropping outside her cave. When she got to the top, she saw the endless expanse of brown and green was broken by what looked like a cluster of buildings. They had only been a few hours away. Unfortunately they had also been burned out and collapsed, probably from a Grimm attack. She scavenged what she could, most importantly a few pots and a small knife, and walked back to her new home. A road led out of the village, but she didn't know how long it would take her to get to another village, or it if would even be there. Winter showed up in earnest soon after, making travel a bad idea anyway.

Stuck in a cave with nothing to do but search for food now and then, Ruby had a lot of time to think about what happened. She’d been a fool. Trusting Cinder had lead to nothing but pain. She’d killed her best friend, in front of her sister no less. Several months had passed, and she still found herself crying about what she had done. Ruby had no idea what to do now. At least with winter on its way out she could travel again.

“You could always go back to your family,” Weiss said. Ruby looked at her, eyes deliberately avoiding the dark stain on her blouse, and raised an eyebrow. She scoffed and shook her head. “You don’t think they’ll accept you?”

“No, I don’t.” Ruby kept walking, keeping an eye out for the road. “What I did to you...it’s unforgivable. And Yang saw me do it. The entire _world_ saw me do it, if Cinder was telling the truth.” Ruby had no idea if she had been. So much of what Cinder had told her was lies, it was hard to know if that one thing was true or not.

“Exactly!” Weiss said. “And even if it was, don’t you think that your family would just be happy to know you’re alive?” She stood in Ruby’s field of vision, her too pale eyes filled with concern. Ruby looked away.

“It doesn't matter. I killed you. Nobody would ever forgive me for that.” Ruby trudged on, the wind whipping at her cape and biting into her skin. 

“You mean you can't forgive yourself.”

“Like I said, nobody.” Ruby shifted Crescent Rose to her other shoulder, wishing once again that it still functioned. Weiss was silent for once, leaving Ruby with nothing but her own thoughts.

Eventually the trees gave way, interrupted by a muddy road. At least something was going right today. “What are you going to do?” Weiss asked, suddenly in front of her.

“Find people,” Ruby said, “find out where I am.” Unfortunately there weren’t any signs to tell her which way to go. She ended up choosing more or less randomly, and headed off.

“Weren’t you just saying that you wanted to _avoid_ people?” Weiss asked sarcastically.

“I said I wanted to avoid my family. It’s different. Besides, finding people means finding food. I’ve spent the last few months living on boiled rabbit, cave moss, and pine needle tea. I could use a real meal.”

“Well hopefully you picked the right direction.”

Ruby sighed, absentmindedly scratching at some rust on Crescent Rose. “What good is hope?” she muttered.

* * *

Qrow shifted back to his human form about a mile outside of the city. Despite the fact that there were people in the world that were telekinetic or had limbs made of metal people still seemed to get nervous if they saw you shapeshift. It was easier this way. Less suspicious people meant it was easier to gather information. Plus, last time Leo had gotten on him for ‘causing a disturbance’.

Making his way into Mistral, Qrow walked to the arranged spot and waited for his contact. A few minutes later a man in an Atlesian military uniform walked up and sat next to him. Running a hand through his red hair he said, “It’s about time you got here. If I’m gone too much longer they’ll get suspicious.” He glanced around nervously.

“Calm down Carm. And stop looking around so much, it’s _making_ you look suspicious. What do you have for me?” Qrow leaned back and relaxed. It was nice to be somewhere you didn't have to worry about Grimm for once. He’d spent the last few months flying around to speak with the remaining headmasters, having to dodge Grimm for most of the trip. His trip to Shade had netted him nothing, and Jimmy was in the process of turning Atlas into a fortress.

“There’s been a lot of build-up in the illegal weapons trade,” Carmine said. He pulled out his scroll and looked through it. “Specialist Schnee’s agents have noticed an almost 50% increase. The White Fang has been recruiting as well. Sienna Khan himself is here. We think that they may be planning something.”

The White Fang was always planning something. It could be a problem though. He’d have to make sure that Leo knew, just so he could prepare. The last thing they needed was another Beacon. “What about Cinder or her associates? Any sign of them?”

“No, thankfully,” Carmine said. Qrow gave him a level look. “What? That woman was apparently responsible for Beacon, as well as Headmaster Ozpin’s death. I count not seeing someone that powerful as a win.”

Qrow laughed quietly, scratching at his scruff. “It just means that there’s someone new on the playing field. Someone we don't know about. That’s never good.” Carmine was silent for a moment, and Qrow took the opportunity to think. If Cinder wasn’t here that meant that Salem had other agents working for her. With nothing unusual going on in Vacuo and Atlas locked down by a paranoid Ironwood, Mistral was the next logical target. “Anyone unusual show up lately?”

Carmine went through his scroll, eyes darting back and forth. “No, not really. Dr. Arthur Watts, a somewhat prominent engineer from Atlas, showed up recently to try and modify the CCT so that communications could be restored to the three remaining towers until the Vale tower is rebuilt. Local comms work, but international is still down. Other than that, movement in and out of the kingdom is pretty normal. At least as far as we know.”

“A prominent engineer showing up out of nowhere could seem a little suspicious,” Qrow said. Was this Dr. Watts someone that worked for Salem? He’d have to look into the guy.

“Not really. He’s being paid an obscene amount of lien for his work. We’ve looked into him. He’s a noted programmer and a decent roboticist. The Atlesian military has actually contracted with him before, for the design of the Paladins. He does take some fairly short, fairly regular vacations, but outside of that we weren't able to find anything on him.”  
“Where’s he go on these ‘vacations’?”

“To a small island off the coast of Mistral. There’s a resort there, and they have records of him visiting.”

It still sounded a little suspicious. He’d do his own digging, see what he could find out with his network. The man might just be visiting a mistress or something, but after Beacon he wasn't willing to take chances. “Alright, thanks Carm. Keep me posted.” Qrow stood up and started to walk away. “Oh, hey. You think you’d be able to arrange a meeting with Winter? I’m gonna head up and talk to Leo right now, but I’d like to see what she has to say as well.”

Carmine hesitated. “I’ll...try. I know you two have a history and after Beacon she’s even less of a fan of yours. Honestly, I think that might have been the first time I’d ever heard her curse.”

Qrow barked out a laugh. “Oh believe me, she does a lot. You just have to catch her at the right time.” He paused and took a drink. “Just let me know, ok?”

“Sure thing.” Carmine stood up and started to walk away. He pause for a moment and said, “Hey Qrow, for what it’s worth, you have my condolences.”

“Thanks.” Qrow tipped back his flask, and sighed when it turned out to be empty. He’d have to stop somewhere and get a refill before he went to see Leo. He already knew there’d be questions about Ruby and that wasn't exactly something he wanted to do sober. He went off, trying to search out Mistral’s finest bar. Or failing that, someplace cheap. He’d probably end up at the second one.

* * *

Ruby had been on the road for two days, camping out in trees to avoid Grimm and wrapping herself with her cloak to try and keep warm. It didn’t work as well as it used too, probably because of all the holes. She’d have to see about getting it fixed.

“First you need to actually find someone.”

Ruby rolled her eyes. “Well duh. I don't know if you’ve noticed Weiss, but there aren't a lot of people around right now.” She swept her arms out, gesturing to the forest around her.

The other girl stepped in front of her, paler-than-usual eyes narrowed. “Don’t snap at me Ruby Rose. It’s not my fault you went the wrong way.”

Ruby sighed, stepping through her. “I didn't go the ‘wrong way’. We just haven't found anything yet. It isn't like I asked to be dropped into the middle of the wilderness without a map. We’ll hit something eventually, they wouldn’t build a road in the middle of a Grimm infested forest for no reason.”

Weiss started to say something, but Ruby held up a hand. “Rude,” the other girl muttered. Ruby ignored her. Over the tops of the trees she saw a few columns of smoke. Not the greasy black smoke of buildings on fire, but smoke from the kind of fire used to cook. _People_ , Ruby thought. She quickly shoved down a surge of hope. Wherever this was, she wouldn’t be able to stay permanently. She didn’t want people to somehow find out she was still alive.

“Well that’s just dumb.”

“Shut up, Weiss.” Ruby stopped, judging the smoke to be about an hours walk away. She moved off to the side of the road and started forcing Crescent Rose closed. It would be useless in combat, but it would also be far less likely to scare people. Plus, most villages had some sort of blacksmith. She would be able to try and fix it.

Crescent Rose closed, or as close as she could get it, Ruby made her way toward the village. It was fairly large, and looked to have solid walls. Most of the buildings bore the signs of age, implying that it was pretty well protected. She wondered if the village had a huntress or huntsman protecting it. She doubted that it would be someone that recognized her, but she would be careful anyway.

She got close enough that she saw a sign welcoming her to...”He..gan..bane...uh?” she guessed. It sounded Mistrali. She’d never been good at pronouncing that stuff. She looked at Weiss.

“Don’t look at me. Why would I know?”

“Higanbana,” she heard a voice say from behind her. Spinning, she grabbed Crescent Rose without even thinking that it was currently useless. “Woah there, no threat here,” the man said, hands up in the air. Ruby muttered an apology and put it away again. He smiled down at her. “Don’t worry about it,” he laughed, “living in a Grimm infested forest during winter would make anyone jumpy.” 

Ruby’s eyes narrowed. “How did you know I’ve been living out there?”

He scratched at his beard. “Well for one, you’re as thin as a rail. Two, well...let’s just say I know a place where you can get a bath.” He laughed and clapped her on the shoulder. Ruby looked away awkwardly. “Come on now, I’ll get you a good meal and a place to clean up. How’s that sound?” Honestly, it sounded amazing. He must have sensed her hesitation. “I won’t take no for an answer now girl,” he said. At first she thought it was a threat, but when she looked up the smile on his face was matched by the one in his eyes. Ruby nodded. “Good! I’m glad that’s settled.” He started to walk into the village and Ruby followed. “Name’s Brandeis by the way. Yours?”

“Ruby.”

* * *

“Well that was pointless,” Qrow grumbled to himself as he left Leo’s office. The headmaster said that he didn't know how Cinder had managed to pose as a student. Apparently someone had just added some records for her and her minions without anyone noticing. Between him and Ironwood allowing the robots to get hacked, Qrow was beginning to wonder if anyone worried about computer security.

Qrow had questioned Leo about Watts as well, but that didn't go anywhere. Apparently Leo had hired him to try and get the CCT working again, nothing more. Leo said he trusted the guy, but Qrow wasn't sure how much that meant anymore. He sighed. Either way, he was still going to find out what he could. Cinder had messed with the CCT before Beacon fell, so as far as Qrow was concerned anyone working on one of the towers should be watched constantly.  
His scroll buzzed, and he saw he had a message from Carmine. 

_C: Specialist Schnee has agreed to a meeting with you this afternoon at 3pm. Don’t be late Qrow, it took a lot of work to get her to agree to this._

Three eh? That meant he had a few hours to kill. Maybe he’d get something to eat, dealing with Leo had made him pretty hungry. That bar from before had been a dive, but the smell coming from the kitchen was pretty good. Qrow started to make his way back there when he noticed something in an alleyway.

Specifically, a woman wearing an elaborate Grimm mask. He sighed and walked over to her. She led him a little further down in the alley before she stopped and took off the mask. “Can’t you ever arrange a meeting like a normal person?”

Raven looked him up and down, clearly disapproving. “I had to make sure that I would get your attention. That can be difficult, since you’re usually drunk.” Her gaze was intense, and her eyes were locked on his. “Where’s the relic?”

“What no small talk?” he asked, leaning against a wall. “I’m hurt Raven.” She rolled her eyes. “Yang is fine by the way.   
Not that you care, but she managed to get through the battle of Beacon unharmed. But why should you care, she’s just your daughter.”

Raven didn't even pause, didn't even flinch when he brought up Yang. Typical. “Where is the relic Qrow?” Her voice was hard.

“Where’s the spring maiden?” he shot back.

“And why would I know anything about that?” she said, voice filled with mock innocence.

“I saw some of your handiwork while I was flying here. Somebody in the tribe has quite a bit of power now. Let’s just say that I made a connection.”

“My people only survive because we are strong,” she said, ignoring the question entirely. She stepped closer to him. “I’ll ask you one more time. Where is the relic?”

“It’s safe.”

“Safe where?”

“Somewhere you can’t get it.” Qrow was already tired of this conversation. He was irked too, by her lack of concern for her family. He’d expected it, but it still touched a nerve. “Not even a single word about your kid?”

“I saved her, didn't I?” she asked, clearly thinking it was enough.

“Once.”

“And clearly she didn't need saving again. At least you fools haven't coddled her to the point where she can’t fight.” She turned and drew her sword, the red blade reflecting the sun’s light.

“Leaving already?” he asked sarcastically.

“I don't want to be here when this city falls.” She raised her sword to open the portal, but Qrow caught it before she could swing.

“What are you talking about?”

“Why do you care?” she asked, her eyes narrowing. “You won’t believe me anyway.” Her voice was hard, and he thought he heard a bit of emotion in it. He must have been drunker than he thought.

Qrow rolled his eyes. Of course. “Another one of your ‘visions’ eh?”

Her face _actually_ showed anger, surprising him a little. “I _told_ you Ozpin would fail. I _told_ you Beacon would fall and none of you believed me. After everything that’s happened is it _me_ that’s the fool here? It doesn't matter anyway. I have what I came for.” She turned again, raising her sword.

“And where are you going now?”

She looked back at him wearing that annoying smirk, and said, “To secure my latest weapon.” She opened the portal and walked into the swirling red and black mass without another word.

Qrow sighed. “That’s probably bad.”

* * *

Ruby sunk into the hot water. It felt absolutely amazing, even if her hair kept getting in the way. She would have to see about getting it cut back to its normal length. Something was still off though. “Why are they being so nice to me?” she asked Weiss. Brandeis and his wife Aureolin had been so nice to her. They gave her a room to stay in and had run her a hot bath, telling her that supper would be ready when she was done. Aureolin had even said she would try to fix Ruby’s cloak.

“Probably because they’re nice people.”

“But why are they being so nice to _me_?” She definitely didn't deserve being treated this well. Not anymore.

“Quit being silly.”

“It’s true though. There are so many other people should be treated this way, it’s wasted on me.” Ruby’s eyes were fixed on the ceiling, the hot water suddenly feeling bad. Weiss sighed, but didn't say anything. “I won’t stay that long. Tomorrow I’ll get Crescent Rose fixed and then we’ll be on our way.”

“And exactly where are you going?”

“I don't know. But I can't stay here and keep taking advantage of these people.” Maybe she would head south. At least it would get warmer, she’d have a lot less trouble finding game. The door opened suddenly and Aureolin walked in. Ruby squeaked and ducked under the water.

“Sorry to barge in like this, but I figured you might want some clean clothes.” She saw Ruby and started to laugh. “Oh don't worry child. I’ve had a few daughters myself, you don't have anything I haven't seen.” Ruby still hid beneath the water, her eyes peeking out above. Aureolin laughed and shook her head. “One of the girls was about your size. Hopefully these fit you.” She set the clothes down on a table near the tub and left.

Ruby toweled off and started to put on the new clothes, feeling even more undeserving of this kindness. At least the clothes were her style. With the exception of the white blouse, everything was red and black. There was even a combat skirt. Weiss inspected the clothes. “One of their daughters must have been a huntress.” Ruby shrugged. She went downstairs and was hit by several amazing smells. Her mouth started to water, her mind going back to the bland food she’d been eating for longer than she cared to remember.

“Sit down, Ruby. Eat,” Brandeis said. Aureolin smiled at her. She did, thanking them for the food. It was delicious. “You’ll sleep here tonight. The blacksmith will be open tomorrow, she should be able to help you out with that weapon of yours.” Ruby nodded, continuing to eat. She didn't want to talk, she didn't trust her voice right now. She was working hard to hold back tears.

Sitting at the table like this and eating reminded her too much of home.

* * *

Raven exited the portal, annoyed. Qrow always managed to do that to her. It was bad enough that she had to wait in this village. Higanbana wasn't a place that she wanted to stay for any longer than she had to. She wouldn’t even be here if she hadn't had a vision of Ruby showing up and getting arrested by Atlas. Scowling, she made her way to a nearby inn. If she was stuck here she could at least eat.

She sat at the table, and the waitress brought her some food. It was passable, but she far preferred the food she got when she was with the tribe. She ate angrily, annoyed at Qrow for bringing up Yang. She had good reasons for leaving. Not that he would believe her. Not that anyone would…

##### Seventeen years ago

Raven lay in the hospital bed, exhausted. Childbirth was awful. The doctor and the nurses were milling about, talking with Taiyang. She was barely listening. She saw Taiyang walk over to her, carrying a small bundle. He had a broad smile on his face. It was the proudest she’d ever seen him. She smiled back.

“Raven, this is our baby girl.” He handed the child to Raven. She was beautiful. A few wisps of blonde hair sat on her head, and she looked out with violet eyes. Raven didn't know how she should react. This child, her child, was amazing. She looked up at Taiyang and smiled weakly. She didn't think it was possible, but his smile got even bigger. “What should we name her?”

“I don't know,” Raven said distractedly. She was having trouble looking away from her daughter. Those eyes were so beautiful, a perfect combination of her’s and Taiyang’s.

“How does Yang sound?” Raven looked up at him and gave him a wry look. “What?”

“Yang Xiao-Long. Doesn’t that essentially mean ‘Taiyang Jr.?”

Taiyang chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. “Well I mean technically. But I think it’s still a pretty name.”  
Raven thought for a moment. He was right, it was a good name. And it seemed to fit her, somehow. “Sure,” said, smiling. She sat their, holding her sunny little dragon. Taiyang put his hand on her shoulder, and that’s when it happened.

Raven inhaled sharply and found herself standing in the hospital waiting room. She looked around and saw Qrow sitting there, a small child on his lap. It was Yang, clearly a couple of years older. Had she had another child already? And where was Summer? She should have been waiting with Qrow, like she was today. Before she could wonder any longer, Taiyang stepped into the room holding a bundle and wearing that same goofy smile.

He walked over to Yang and knelt down, holding the baby up to her. “Yang, this is your little sister Ruby. Do you want to say hi?” The little blonde girl smiled.

“Hi Ruby!” she squeaked, the ‘r’ sounding more like a ‘w’. Raven smiled and moved to look at the baby. She had a few wisps of black hair at the top of her head, and she even looked a little like Tai. Then Ruby opened her eyes and Raven’s heart broke. Ruby had silver eyes.

Taiyang had a child with Summer.

Her best friend and the man she loved had both betrayed her.

“Raven?” she heard. It sounded fuzzy. She shook her head, and found herself staring at Taiyang. “You ok?”

She smiled up at him, although she didn't feel it. “Just a little tired.” She wouldn’t tell him about the vision. He wouldn’t believe her anyway. Nobody did, not even the man she loved.

Did she still love him, knowing what she did now? She knew she couldn’t wait around for the heartbreak to come. Maybe she should return to the tribe. They had told her that the people on the outside would use her, that nobody would truly care. Apparently they had been right.

* * *

The next day Ruby woke up and made her way to the blacksmith’s shop. She looked at Ruby with disapproval when she showed him Crescent Rose. “A young huntress like you should know to take better care of her weapon.” Ruby mumbled something about not having equipment, but the blacksmith still looked at her like she was an idiot. Then she shrugged and took Crescent Rose into the back. “This’ll probably take a while.” Ruby nodded and sat down.

About an hour later she came back and gave Ruby her scythe. It looked brand new, and Ruby tested it. The mechanisms all worked. She sighed in relief. “You’re lucky I deal with a lot of huntresses. Most villages wouldn’t have been able to fix something so complicated. That’ll be 100 lien.” Ruby nodded and opened her pouch. It would be all the money she had, but that didn't really matter. She was lucky that she even had any money. Brandeis had offered to pay, but Ruby politely refused. She didn't want to take advantage of them anymore.

She went back out into the village, not sure where to go now. She was walking down the street when she was suddenly hauled into an alley. She spun, deploying Crescent Rose. She looked at her assailant and - “Yang?” No, that wasn't right. She looked similar, but the lines on her face told her she was much older. She also had jet black hair, instead of the bright blonde that Yang did.

“What are you doing, walking around like that? Foolish child.”

“What – who even are you?”

“I’m Raven Branwen. I’m the one that saved you after Beacon, so you should show me some respect.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to give Raven some backstory, since she doesn't really have anything in the show proper other than "Left Yang just because"


	3. Chapter 3

A gentle breeze blew through Blake’s hair as she stretched out. Yang stood across the clearing, sunlight shining in her eyes. She smirked at Blake. “You sure you’re ready for this kitty cat?” Blake’s eyes narrowed briefly at the nickname, before she put on a neutral expression.

“I need to know if I’m ready for combat again. If it becomes a problem we can stop,” Blake said in a carefully controlled voice. Yang laughed, the sound sharp and full of joy. Somehow she always knew when she got to Blake.

The truth was that Blake wasn't sure if she was ready for this. Hand to hand wasn’t something she was amazing at. Back in her White Fang days she’d trained a little, but that was only if she ever found herself caught without her weapon. She idly traced one of the scars on her stomach. The muscles were still a little stiff, but Blake hadn't had any issues with pain recently. Plus, she thought darkly, there was no telling when Adam would come back. She had to be ready for him this time. Maybe between her and Yang they could win.

“Kick her butt Blake!” Nora shouted from the sidelines. She stood with Jaune and Ren, who had also decided to watch. Blake wasn't super excited about having an audience, but at least they were friends. They had been around a lot more lately, after Yang had gotten Blake to tell them about Adam. That was good, more people would never be a bad thing if he decided to show up.

“Hey!” Yang shouted indignantly. “Why do you want her to win?”

“Well for one she never tried to smash my face with a turkey.”

“You launched me through the ceiling! With a watermelon!”

Nora laughed. “I didn't say you were _successful_ , I just said you tried.” Yang stuck out her tongue, making Nora laugh even harder. Blake smiled. It was good to see everyone laughing and joking again. Especially Yang. She had stuck close to Blake ever since the day she almost left. Yang looked at Blake, noticed her smile, and beamed. Blake put her arms up.

“Let’s go”

* * *

“Go? Why would I go anywhere with _you_?” Ruby asked, confused. Why had this woman shown up out of nowhere? And did she say she was Raven Branwen? Wasn’t that Yang’s mom? The one that had abandoned Yang so soon after she was born?

Raven’s face betrayed her annoyance. “We have to leave or you will be arrested and then _executed_ by Atlas.” She spun around and drew her sword. Ruby sucked in a breath, nervous at seeing the naked blade. This was definitely Yang’s mom. The red sword confirmed it. Yang said she saw the same person saving her on the train. Raven sliced at the open air and a swirling cloud of smoke appeared. “Come with me Ruby.”

Ruby stood her ground. “Once again, why should I leave with you? I know you’re probably too busy abandoning people to know this, but I haven't exactly had the best luck when it comes to trusting strangers lately.” She stared at Raven, her expression hard. She wasn't going to let herself be burned again.

Raven’s eyes narrowed slightly. “As I said, if you stay here Atlas will find you. And you will die.”

“How could you possibly know that?”

Raven sighed. “You won’t believe it.”

Ruby raised her eyebrows. “Seriously? That’s what you say to convince me? Thanks but no thanks.” Ruby turned and started to walk the other way.

“You will be arrested and subdued by an Atlesian huntsman. He will take you back to Atlas where you will be thrown into a high security prison by James Ironwood. You will be interrogated to find out what you know about Cinder and her plans. Then you will be given a trial. Jacques Schnee, out of revenge, will use his money and influence to swing the trial against you, leading to a sentence of execution. The appeals of your uncle, father, and sister will go unheeded. In 6 months time you will die, and the world will burn.”

Ruby spun around and saw Raven standing before the portal. Her red eyes were locked on Ruby and her expression was severe. Raven continued. “Cinder Fall will kill your sister. Qrow will fall fighting Salem’s underlings. Your father, impaired by alcohol and devastated by loss, will fall to the Grimm. Without anyone truly strong to stand against her, Salem will gather the relics and the world will burn.”

Ruby studied her, incredulous. Did Raven seriously expect her to believe something so wild? “That’s a nice story, certainly more colorful than the one Cinder told me, but I’m not about to fall for that again. You just want to use me as a weapon.” She started to walk away again.

“Yes. I do.” Raven stepped in front of Ruby. “And that isn't a ‘story’. It will come to pass. I’ve seen it.”

“Well I guess at least you're honest. But you can't honestly expect me to believe you can see the future.”

Raven sighed again, sheathing her sword. “Nobody ever does. That’s why I started to step in myself to correct things, I’d lost enough trying to get others to change. That’s why I saved you at Beacon and why I’m _trying_ to save you again. Most won’t get that luxury.”

Ruby rolled her eyes. “Gee, thanks. I’ll be super thankful as soon as you leave. I do have one question though.” Ruby stood as tall as she could and tried to stare Raven down. “If you’re so worried about me dying then _why did you abandon me in the middle of the forest during winter_?!” Her voice rose to a yell. Some of the people walking past stopped to stare. One of them looked closely at Ruby, realization dawning on his face, and pulled out a gun.

“Ruby Rose! You are under arrest for the murder of Weiss Schnee!”

* * *

Yang jumped forward, aiming a punch towards Blake’s midsection. “Ha!” she shouted as she connected, only for Blake to fuzz and then disappear. Yang growled in frustration. “Stop doing that!”

Blake stepped in behind her, swinging at her head. Yang dodged at the last second and spun into a kick towards Blake. Blake stepped back to dodge and then spun forward with an elbow strike. Yang caught it on her arm.

Blake smiled. “Stop doing what?” She moved quickly and managed to sweep Yang’s leg out from underneath. Yang hit the ground hard and Nora cheered. Yang glared at the red haired woman as she stood.

“Stop using your semblance! If I can't use mine you can't use yours.” They’d been sparring for a while now, seeming pretty evenly matched. Blake was way better at hand to hand than she said she was. Especially when she kept cheating.

“As I recall you can't use yours because you don't want to destroy your yard. Or your house. Besides, I’m not the one making you hold back.”

Yang huffed. “Who says I’m holding back?”

Blake gave her a flat look. “Yang, I once saw you punch Cardin so hard that he left a dent in the wall. You weren't even wearing Ember Celica.”

“We weren't in sparring class either,” Jaune said.

“Hey! He deserved it for grabbing my ass.”

“The point is,” Blake said, giving Jaune a pointed look, “whether or not you’re intending to, you’re holding back.” She held up a hand to Ren and he tossed her a bottle of water. She nodded to him and took a drink. “I know you don't want to hurt me, but we won’t know if I’m truly healed until I get in a real fight. So c’mon blondie,” she said, using Yang’s least favorite nickname, “get over here and hit m-” Blake sidestepped at the last second to avoid a fist to the face.

Yang smiled at her. “That what you’re looking for lil’ kitty?” Blake answered with a kick but Yang blocked it easily and continued to come at Blake. The fact that Yang’s fighting style was primarily hand to hand was showing now. It was all Blake could do to avoid getting hit, even to the point where she had to use her semblance just to get out of the way. Finally, a hit connected and threw her back towards the trees. As she was flying Blake got an idea.

* * *

Ruby froze. Was Raven actually right? The man slowly made his way toward her, his gun pointed right at her. He had to know that was pointless. Even in her weakened state Ruby’s aura would deflect simple bullets. This man was definitely not a huntsman. Ruby drew Crescent Rose and he started. “I won’t go with you, but I don't want to hurt you. Please, just let me leave. This doesn't have to get violent.”

He looked at her, a small amount of fear showing on his face. “I can’t do that. Under the orders of General James Ironwood anyone that sees you is to make all attempts to bring you in. Apparently he was correct in believing you might have lived.”

Ruby gritted her teeth. How was she going to get out of this without hurting this guy? Did he even have au-

Suddenly Raven was in front of her. Her sword was through the soldier’s chest. Blood was running down her hands. “We’re leaving. Now.”

“You killed him!” Ruby shouted. She stepped back and fell into a combat stance. “Why? He was harmless!”

Raven turned to her and flicked her sword, sending crimson droplets flying. “This one may not have been trained, but there will be a huntsman nearby. I killed him before he could send a signal.”

“And it appears that you failed in that.” Ruby and Raven turned to see two people standing there, wearing white Atlas uniforms. The man on the left, the one who had spoken, was glaring at Raven. “I’m afraid you are under arrest as well, for the murder of an Atlesian soldier.” He drew the two swords from his back. “I’m assuming you aren’t going to come quietly?” In answer, Raven sheathed her sword and the chamber spun. A yellow blade was attached and Raven took a ready stance. “Hmm,” he said. He turned to the huntress next to him. “Cerise, do you think you can handle the older one?” She nodded. “Then Rose is mine.” 

He launched himself forward at Ruby, swords held out behind him. As he got close, he twisted his left hand and the sword burst into pieces. He swung the sword-whip at her and Ruby blocked it with Crescent Rose. His blades curled around the haft and he smiled, suddenly pulling back. Crescent Rose was ripped from Ruby’s hands and went flying. Ruby dodged a swing from his normal blade and lashed out with a kick. More to distract than to hurt. She just needed to get past him. She was useless unarmed. 

She was thrown completely off balance when her leg _stuck_ to his torso. She tried to pull back, but her leg wouldn’t move. He smiled mockingly at her. “I’m afraid that’s -” He was cut off when Ruby threw her other leg into the air, dragging them both to the ground. He hit face first, a muffled shout escaping. She quickly pulled her knife out and stabbed at him, still mostly trying to get away. 

The knife glanced off his aura and he rolled quickly, releasing Ruby’s leg. She quickly jumped up and spun into her semblance, making a break for Crescent Rose. She grabbed the weapon and continued on, putting some distance between her and the huntsman. Whatever made her stick to him would probably work on her weapon too, so she needed to shoot. She spared a moment to look toward Raven, who was locked in combat with Cerise.

Ruby aimed toward the huntsman and squeezed the trigger.

* * *

Yang watched Blake smash back first into the tree and winced. She hadn't meant for that to happen; she’d figured that Blake would use her semblance or something to dodge out of the way at the last second. Yang ran over to her. “Oh man, Blake I’m so sorry. I didn't mean for you to -” A fist connected with the back of her head and Yang stumbled forward. She growled and turned, only to see Blake standing there smirking. She threw a punch at her, but her hand just fuzzed through the shadow clone. “Dammit Blake!” she shouted. Then she smiled.

Yang quickly spun and kicked upward, just in time to hit Blake. A burst of air escaped the Faunus’ lips as Blake fell to one knee. Blake held up a hand. “Alright, alright. I think we’re done for the day.” Yang laughed and held out a hand toward Blake. 

“Ooh! Me next!” Nora shouted, standing and pulling Magnhild out suddenly.

“Nora,” Ren said patiently, “Yang’s aura is fairly low too. Plus it isn't exactly fair if you have your weapon and she doesn't.” Nora pouted for a moment, but then nodded and threw a towel to Yang.

“Thanks,” Yang said, wiping her face. She was surprisingly sweaty after this. Blake was a decent hand to hand fighter. She offered the towel to Blake.

Blake shook her head, giving Yang a weird look. “I’ll...get my own, thanks. I don’t really want to rub your sweat on my face.”

“Your loss.”

“I’m sure,” Blake said sarcastically. “Next time I’m bringing Gambol Shroud. It should level the playing field a little.”

Yang laughed. “You’re a decent fist fighter Blake, don't sell yourself short. But if you want to bring your weapon I’ll have to bring mine. It’s only fair.”

“We may have to reinforce your yard to do that.”

“Hmmm your probably right. I do tend to have an earth-shattering personality.” Blake rolled her eyes, making Yang laugh again. “For now though, I think I’m going to go take a shower.”

“You definitely need one.”

“Hey!”

* * *

The huntsman saw Ruby firing and dodged her shot. Grumbling she lined up another and fired. She didn't really have a lot of ammo left. Three shots left in this magazine, and then one more after that. She needed to make every shot count. The huntsman twisted his other hand, switching his other sword into a whip. He wrapped them around some lampposts and threw himself toward Ruby, sliding on the ground as if it were ice. Ruby fired but he just slid out of the way of each shot. As he got to her he shifted his swords back into normal blades, and then pressed the attack. It was all Ruby could do to block his strikes, her speed was the only thing keeping him from hitting her.

He danced around Ruby effortlessly, swords searching out a weak point. His feet seemed to switch between being stuck to the ground and sliding effortlessly across it. Ruby was amazed. She’d thought that she was a decent fighter, but there was a world of difference between her and this man. This was what fighting a fully trained huntsman was like. Being weak from months of poor eating probably didn't help either.

Ruby suddenly saw an opening and took it, swinging Crescent Rose at his feet. That proved to be a mistake. He jumped over the scythe and kicked it, driving the point into the ground. Then he was behind her, and threw his arm around Ruby’s neck. “Surrender,” he barked. Ruby was about to say something when a strangled cry caught both of their attention.

“Fen!” He turned, dragging Ruby with him. She wished he hadn’t. His partner, Cerise, was pinned to the wall with a broken blade sticking out of her chest. Arcs of energy were playing across her body as she struggled to remove the blade from her chest. She slumped a moment later, and the huntsman behind her shouted a wordless cry. Ruby found herself thrown to the ground as the huntsman ran toward his partner.

“We need to leave, now,” Raven said, appearing near Ruby. Ruby nodded. She would follow Raven, if only to keep more people from dying. She could always run later, if she needed to. Besides, Ruby didn't know what else to do anymore. Raven opened another portal and gestured to Ruby. Ruby looked back toward the village, and stepped through.

* * *

Qrow sat outside Winter’s office, waiting. He’d managed to get here a little early, if only to keep Winter from brushing him off for being even the slightest bit late. Of course now he’d been sitting here for a while, waiting on her. “Mr. Branwen?” He looked up and saw a young woman had approached him. “Specialist Schnee is ready for you.”

“About time,” he said as he stood up. He walked into Winter’s office and saw her sitting behind a desk that was covered with paper. “Don’t you people communicate by scroll?”

“There’s a lot of information coming in from multiple sources, some of which aren't trusted enough to know scroll contact information.” She looked up toward him. “As you can clearly see I have a lot of work to do Qrow. What do you want?” Her words were terse and clipped, and her expression was openly hostile. Great. This was going to go well. 

“I need to check in on what’s going on around here. Leo is useless, doesn't know a thing. I figured that you would have a better handle on local stuff.” He sat down in a chair and reached for his flask. He stopped himself. Winter was hostile enough already, no need to make things worse.

“General Ironwood informed me that you have broken off contact with him since Beacon. Exactly why should I trust you with classified Atlas information?” She continued to go through the paper on her desk, barely acknowledging him.

“Look, Jimmy and I have different opinions on how we should continue without Ozpin. For certain reasons I’m in favor of waiting for now, but he isn't. Sealing off Atlas isn't going to help anyone.”

“It will help keep the kingdom safe.”

Qrow sighed. “I’m guessing at this point that Jimmy has filled you in on a few things.”

Winter looked up. “I presume you mean Salem? Yes. General Ironwood felt that a few select people could be trusted enough to assist with that situation. I was one of those people.”

“Then you should understand what she’s doing. She’s trying to start another Great War, trying to make us kill each other for her. Atlas separating from the rest of the world doesn't help ease tensions.”

“Did you just come here to discuss geopolitics? Whether or not I agree with the general’s decisions I have no authority to change them. If you don't have anything else to say, please leave.”

Qrow rubbed his forehead. “Look, Winter, I know things haven't been great since Beacon but -”

Her head snapped up to look at him and her eyes narrowed. “If you mention that I will have you thrown out.” She sat back in her chair and regarded him coolly. “Enough pointless talk. Give me a reason to keep speaking to you or leave.”

He knew she was angry, but he hadn't expected this. She was bordering on unprofessional, something unusual for her. “Well I suppose my biggest concern is the CCT modifications. After what happened at Beacon, and how Cinder managed to take control of it, I feel like we should all be more concerned with letting anyone screw around with it.”

“Do you think that the entire Atlesian military is stupid or just me?” Qrow started to respond but stopped when he saw the look on her face. “We have investigated Dr. Watts thoroughly. At this point we have even confirmed with his mistress that he visits her on a regular basis. Watts is skilled with computers, but nowhere nearly as skilled as it would take to hide anything suspicious from us.”

Suddenly the young woman from outside burst into the room. Winter glared up at her. “Specialist Schnee,” she said, saluting. “I apologize for the interruption ma’am, but I got an urgent report from Lt. White.” She handed Winter a scroll. 

Winter’s face suddenly twisted in anger, and she crushed the scroll. She looked up at Qrow. “Get. Out.” Qrow started to protest. “Get out, or I will have you ejected from this compound. Leave!” Qrow got up and left, wondering just what the hell had happened.

He found out a few minutes later as he was making his way back toward his room at Haven. “Qrow!” He turned and saw Carmine running toward him.

He stopped. “Carm! What the hell is going on? I’ve never seen Winter react like that.”

Carmine looked around and handed Qrow a file. “I’m risking my career by showing you this Qrow.”

Qrow opened the folder and his eyes went wide. “Oh hell.” Then he shifted into his bird form and flew off, ignoring Carmine’s astonished cry. He had places to be.

* * *

A few days after their training session Blake and Yang sat on the couch, relaxing in front of the TV. Blake sat curled up around her favorite book. Taiyang was upstairs, sleeping off his hangover. Blake and Yang had, with the help of Professor Port, convinced nearby bars and stores not to sell to Tai anymore. He was running out of alcohol, and Dr. Oobleck had said he would be around to help Tai recover.

Blake had just gotten to her favorite part when the door slammed open. Startled, she quickly left a shadow clone on the couch and landed in a ready position. Yang jumped up and raised her arms to a defensive position.

Qrow stood in the doorway, looking tired and more disheveled than usual. He was holding a file folder in his hand. “Get your stuff together Yang. You too, Blake. We’re leaving. Get a hold of your friends if you can.” His tone was completely serious. Despite the fact that she knew very little of the man, this worried Blake.

“Uncle Qrow? What’s going on?” In response, Qrow threw the folder to Yang as he went upstairs. Yang opened it, and gasped. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was hanging open. “Oh my god.”

“Yang?” Blake asked. Yang turned and handed Blake a picture. It was of a young woman, standing in front of a swirling cloud of mist. One of her eyes was obscured by an eye patch, but the other one shone a bright silver.

Ruby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will probably take a little longer to write. I have my Security+ test scheduled for next week, so I'm pretty much spending all of my time studying for that.
> 
> Also, in case anyone was wondering, Fen's semblance is the ability to control his personal friction coefficient. I couldn't think of a way to bring that up in the story without it being awkward. It's not like he would just tell her what his semblance is.
> 
> Also, I have no idea why the note from the end of chapter 1 is showing here (or if you can even see it like I can) but it doesn't show up anywhere for me to remove.


	4. Chapter 4

Qrow got and found Taiyang passed out on the floor near his bed, several pillows piled around him to try and keep him on his side. He looked like hell. His hair was shaggy and unkempt, and his eyes had dark bags beneath them. The room smelled like a distillery. Or maybe it was just Tai. Seeing his old friend like this hurt. Unfortunately, they didn't have time to sit down and sort things out. Winter was on the move, and Qrow knew she would throw everything she could at finding Ruby.

Qrow went into the bathroom and filled a trashcan with cold water. Going back to Tai, he upended the can over his head. Tai jerked awake and started sputtering. He looked up at Qrow angrily. “What the hell Qrow?”

“Get up and get packing. I found your daughter.”

Tai looked at him like he was insane. “Yeah, it’s not that hard. She’s probably downstairs with her friends.” He sounded incredibly angry. It was understandable, given the hangover he probably had.

Qrow sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Not Yang you idiot.” Tai froze, his expression unreadable. “I know where Ruby is.” Tai sat for a moment, looking confused. Comprehension finally hit him, and he stood up abruptly. Qrow caught him as he fell. “You better not puke on me,” he said as he helped Tai steady himself.

“Ruby is...she’s alive?” Tai’s voice was barely a whisper. He sounded unsure, as if he didn't dare let himself hope this was real. Qrow nodded. Tai stumbled backwards and sat down on his bed. He looked up at Qrow and there were tears in his eyes. “Qrow, I- I know I’m a wreck right now but this...this is the best thing I’ve heard in months.”

“Yeah, well. It’s not all good news Tai.”

“What do you mean?” he asked, puzzled.

Qrow sighed. “I’ll fill you in with everyone else. For now, get cleaned up. You smell horrible.” Tai nodded and slowly shuffled toward the door. “Tai,” Qrow said quietly. Tai stopped in the doorway and looked back. “You and I are going to have a long talk later.”

“About what?” 

“About your shitty job of parenting lately. I know you thought Ruby was dead, we all did. But that’s no excuse for what you’ve put Yang through.”

“You left.”

“I had work to do. Someone has to keep all this crap together. Plus I didn't really want my niece to find out about my semblance when her drunk idiot dad fell down the stairs and broke his neck.” Tai was glaring at Qrow, or at least attempting to. He didn't exactly look intimidating. Qrow started back down the stairs. “Look, just get cleaned up. We don't have time to argue right now.”

* * *

Yang sent out messages, and within about half an hour the remaining members of JNPR were gathered in the family room. Tai stumbled down the stairs a few minutes later. He still looked like crap, but the smell was gone at least. Yang looked at her father with a mixture of frustration and pity. Blake seemed to notice and put her hand on Yang’s arm. Yang smiled at her, and turned her attention to Qrow. “So, are you finally going to fill us in?”

“Yeah, we really don't know what’s going on at all. Yang just sent a message saying it was important for the three of us to get here fast,” Arc said.

Qrow sat back and took a drink from his flask. Noticing the dirty look he got from Yang, he quickly put it away. “Ruby’s turned up. Alive.” Arc and Valkyrie gasped and even Ren reacted, his eyes going wide.

“After all this time? Where is she? Is she ok? Is she _here_?” The Arc kid was talking quickly, voice hopeful, and it looked like he had a lot more questions.

Qrow held up a hand to stop him. “No, she’s not here. As for where she is now, that’s a bit complicated. She turned up in a village on Anima called Higanbana.” He held up the picture that he’d brought. “As far as I can tell from this, other than what looks like a bit of malnutrition and a lost eye she’s fine.”

Everyone was silent for a moment as they took in the photo. The Valkyrie girl looked at him and broke the silence. “You said that where she is now was complicated, what do you mean?”

“Well,” Qrow started to say when he was interrupted by a quiet curse from Tai. Qrow looked at him and saw he was holding the picture. He’d figured it out. Qrow continued. “That’s part of the bad news. She’s with my sister.”

“ _Raven?!_ ” Yang blurted, “What’s she doing with my mom?” Everyone but Tai looked at Yang with shocked expressions.

“I take it that being with this woman isn’t a good thing,” Ren said quietly. 

Yang laughed bitterly. “She abandons me and then takes my sister.” She shook her head. “What does Raven want with Ruby anyway?”

“I don't know, but I doubt it’s good. I ran into Raven in Mistral, and she mentioned that she had found a new weapon. After what went down in Higanbana I’m guessing that weapon is Ruby.”

“What went down in Higanbana?” Blake asked.

“Why would she think Ruby is a weapon?” Arc asked at the same time.

“Ruby’s silver eyes make her special; if she were able to fully realize her power she’d be unstoppable when fighting Grimm.” Arc looked at him, clearly confused. “I’ll explain it later. To answer your question,” he nodded at Blake, “A small Atlesian scouting force were the ones that actually found Ruby. A huntress, huntsman, and a pilot. The huntsman was the only one that came back.”

“Ruby killed them?” Arc said suddenly. Yang glared at him, her eyes flashing red. Blake squeezed her arm, and looked like she was ready to hold Yang back if she needed to. Yang looked like she was going to say something when Qrow interrupted her.

“No. Raven killed them and then left with Ruby. That leaves us with a couple major problems.”

“What are they? Can’t we just go get Ruby? You told me that you knew where to find Raven.” Yang’s eyes were intense.

“It’s not that simple kiddo. The tribe moves around a lot, and I doubt Raven’s just going to let us waltz in and take her new prize. We’ll probably have to fight our way past them, which won’t be easy. Not only does Raven weed out the weaker people in the tribe by letting them die, I’m pretty sure that the spring maiden is part of the tribe.” 

Yang’s eyebrows shot up. “A maiden? Like Cinder?” Qrow nodded, noting the barely restrained fury in her voice. “Well how in the hell are we supposed to get past _her_? If even half of what you told me is true the maidens are scary powerful.”

“My current plan is to try and sneak in, grab Ruby, and get out without anyone noticing.”

“Then why do you need all of us?” Ren asked.

“In case that plan doesn't work.” Qrow sighed and grabbed his scroll, pulling up the other intel he’d gotten from Carmine. “And also for part two. From what I've been able to find out, it seems like Mistral is the next target. Illegal weapon deals, White Fang recruitment, everything points to an attack on Mistral.”

Yang winced, and Qrow noticed that Blake had gripped her arm even stronger at the mention of the White Fang. Qrow caught her eye. “And no, I haven't heard anything about Taurus. The only person I know for sure is there is Sienna Khan.” He looked back over the whole group. “I’m going to need all of you to help defend Mistral if it comes down to that. Who knows, maybe if we can hit them hard and in the right places we can stop or weaken the attack before it happens.”

“What about Leo?” Tai asked. He was slumped in a chair, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

“He doesn't think they’re a target. He’s convinced that Beacon was an isolated event, and thinks we should hunker down and see what happens since Oz is gone. I think he’s an idiot. Salem is moving.”

"What's the other major problem?" Ren asked.

"Winter Schnee," Qrow said. "She knows that Ruby's alive too. Beside the fact that Raven killed two of her people when she grabbed Ruby, Winter didn't exactly take what happened at Beacon well. She'll be on the warpath, and if she finds Ruby first I doubt Ruby will survive the encounter."

“So what are we going to do?” Yang asked, determination in her violet eyes.

“We’re headed to Mistral, we can start the search from there. The Vale Council refuses to lend me a bullhead, so we’re going to have to take a boat. Unfortunately the only boat I can find isn’t headed all the way to Mistral. We’re going to have to walk part of the way. All together we should be able to get there in a few months.” He stood up and started to walk to the kitchen. “Get packed. We’re leaving today.”

* * *

The first thing Ruby saw as she walked out of the portal was a large number of gruff looking people, all of them armed. One of them saw her and barked something, and Ruby suddenly found herself surrounded by a bunch of angry people pointing weapons at her. Her eyes went wide and she backed up, bumping into Raven as she came through the portal. 

“Stand down, this child is here on my invitation!” Raven shouted.

A wave of relief washed over Ruby as everyone turned back to what they were doing. Ruby looked around, trying to figure out where she was. “Ruby, why did you follow her?” Weiss asked. Ruby didn't answer her, not right now. The last thing she wanted was people thinking she had gone crazy. “She’s dangerous Ruby. She killed those people. Don't trust her.”

Ruby noticed a young girl looking at her. Her pale hair caught the sunlight as she bounced towards them. “Is this her?” she asked cheerfully. Raven nodded. The girl smiled brightly at Ruby. “Hi! I’m Lily. I’ve been excited to meet you ever since Raven said she was bringing you here.”

“Um, thanks?” Ruby said hesitantly. 

Lily beamed at her. “No problem! I’m always excited to see people with powers different from mine.”

“There’s something weird about this girl,” Weiss said. “I don't like her.” She was floating next to Lily, looking at her disapprovingly.

“Powers?” Ruby wondered what she meant. 

“Yup! I’m the spring maiden. I have been ever since I convinced my mom to give up the power when I was thirteen.” Lily’s smile grew broader, as if she were incredibly proud of herself. It was a bit unsettling.

“Why do I feel like that isn't a good thing?” Weiss asked.

“Lily,” Raven said firmly, interrupting the girl before she could continue. “Take Ruby to her tent.”

Ruby spun to look at Raven. “Hold on. You and I need to talk before I go anywhere. I haven't agreed to stay with you yet.” Ruby suddenly felt several people’s eyes on her, and noticed some of them were staring at her in disbelief. Raven gave Ruby a withering look, a look that promised violence. The old Ruby might have shrunk before that look, but Ruby no longer cared enough to be afraid. Raven could kill her if she wanted to.

“Hopefully you’d at least try to fight back,” Weiss said, a sour expression on her too pale face.

Raven walked up to Ruby, until they were barely a foot apart. “You are new here, so I will forgive this one challenge to my authority. I will speak with you when I have time. For now, you will go with Lily.”

“So I'm your prisoner then? How exactly are you any different from Cinder?”

Raven’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “If you wish to leave then you can,” she said, gesturing toward the forest. “You will die out there, of course, and sentence your family to death in the coming battles.”

Weiss rolled her eyes. “More of this fortune telling nonsense.” Foggy blue eyes locked on Ruby. “Don't forget that she could just be telling you what you want to hear, so that you’ll stay.”

“If you choose to stay, I will shape you into a warrior. One capable of revenge against those who wronged you.”

“You want me to become a killer just like you,” Ruby said.

Raven’s gaze didn't waver at all as she said, “You already are a killer.”

The words hit Ruby like a truck. Ruby’s eyes flicked to Weiss, to the red stain on her dress. The fatal wound Ruby had given her. Ruby’s shoulders slumped, her defiance draining from her. Raven was right. Ruby was a killer. Eleven times. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Raven, whose expression had hardened. “Stay and I can train you to kill those who deserve it most. Those who put you here.” Ruby nodded, subdued. At least if she killed Cinder she would be doing something good. It wouldn’t make up for killing Weiss, but nothing could. “Good. Go with Lily. I will speak with you later.”

Ruby followed Lily through the camp silently. The other girl, her odd and out of place happiness, continued to talk. “You’re lucky. Challenging Raven’s authority publicly like that, well, most people would be dead already. Plus you’re lucky because you have a tent all to yourself. Only the strongest of us get that.” Ruby stayed silent. “Why are you so worried about killing?” Lily asked suddenly.

“Because it’s wrong,” Ruby answered. Weiss nodded in agreement.

“Nah,” Lily said casually. “Sure, killing needlessly like you did is bad, but there’s nothing wrong with killing. After all, it’s the fate of the weak to die.”

“What kind of horrible ideology is that?!” Weiss shouted. Ruby stayed silent, thinking.

She decided to change the subject. “You said you were the spring maiden? What does that mean?”

“There’s four of us, and we all have magic powers. Actual magic, not like a semblance or anything.” Lily said, smiling. “We’re _really_ strong, especially once you get better with the power. I’ve had it for four years, so I'm pretty good with it.” Lily led them to a smallish tent. “Here we are! This is yours. You’ll be expected to take it down and carry it whenever we move camp, but it’s pretty easy.”

Ruby went inside. The tent was mostly empty, there was a bedroll on a cot and a small wooden chest. “This is where I sleep?”

“Yep! I’d get some rest too, I know Raven wants to start your training as soon as possible.” Lily looked Ruby up and down and her expression shifted a little, looking concerned. “I’ll bring you some food too. You look like you could use it.”

“Thanks,” Ruby said, stomach growling. She hadn't realized until now how hungry was.

“No problem!” Lily said brightly, and she left Ruby alone in the tent.

* * *

Cinder was furious. She had been for weeks now. She swung her arm, sending an arc of fire through four Beowolves. Sending Watts to Mistral instead of her, claiming she needed to train? Cinder didn't understand. She was already stronger than most living people, her unexpected weakness to silver-eyed people aside. She knew that there weren't any alive who knew how to use their abilities. That’s what Hazel was for.

A Beringel lept at her from the shadows but she fired a column of flame through it, making it dissolve into shadow. After that meeting, embarrassed and furious, Cinder had gone back to her rooms and screamed. That had proven to be a mistake. Talking hurt, and screaming was _agony_. Since then she had been taking her rage out on the Grimm, imagining each one was Watts.

She wouldn’t dare disobey Salem, but she was determined to be part of the fall of Haven. She had put so much work into it, convincing the Taurus boy to take the White Fang from Khan. She had even managed to slip some people into the Atlesian military, so that they could help place the failure on Atlas. And now Watts would reap the glory.

Gritting her teeth, she exploded with fire, sending it out in all directions and incinerating the Grimm around her. Panting, Cinder winced as the thing on her arm constricted. Despite the fact that it accelerated her healing, Cinder didn't like it. She at least wished it would restore her speech. Hoarse, painful whispers weren't easy to communicate with.

“You still hold back,” a new voice said. Cinder turned and saw Salem had entered. “Isn’t this the power you desired?”

“Yes.” The word was painful.

“Then stop holding yourself back. You think that I sent Watts in your place as some sort of punishment; that is simply not true. I do not want to lose someone as valuable as you because you are unwilling to fight at your full potential.”

“Trying,” Cinder rasped.

Salem’s gaze grew hard. “Do not try, Cinder. Just do.” Salem started to pace the room, glancing at the scorch marks that nearly every surface bore. “Your power is impressive Cinder, and your ability to slay Grimm would be the envy of any huntress.” She stopped walking and fixed Cinder with an intense stare. “But I do not require you to slay Grimm. You need to be able to slay huntresses and huntsmen. They will not blindly charge in, careless for their own safety, as Grimm do.”

“Ozpin.”

Salem smiled. “Yes, you were able to kill dear Ozpin. Which is why watching you like this is so frustrating. I realize that your injuries make fighting difficult for you. I also realize that the threat of death lets people reach heights they thought weren't possible.” Salem walked closer, the distance between them disappearing. “Which is why you will no longer train against Grimm. It is a waste of your time and my resources. Instead,” Salem said ominously, “you will be fighting me.” With that, Salem charged forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, feeling great because I don't have to take that expensive test again until three years from now. Also, you know, passing it.
> 
> I've also started planning a new story. I'm going to see if I can handle two updates a week. The new one's going to take a bit though, I have a lot more worldbuilding to do since that universe will be a whole lot more alternate than this one.


	5. Chapter 5

The red blade slammed into Crescent Rose as Ruby desperately blocked the blow. She turned the scythe to the side slightly, letting Raven’s blade slide down the haft. She had hoped that it would throw Raven off balance, but that hope was quickly shattered as Raven stepped forward with her momentum and threw an elbow into Ruby’s face. Raven had been training her for a week now, and she was absolutely brutal. Even Cinder had tried to avoid causing injuries. Raven had simply said that an enemy wouldn’t stop just because Ruby was tired. Only the strong survived.

Ruby recovered just in time to sidestep another slash. She spun Crescent Rose and slashed at Raven, who ducked and thrust toward Ruby. Ruby jumped and fired, launching herself into the air. She pointed her scythe behind her and fired again, slipping into her semblance and streaking towards Raven. Raven slashed at the air, and a blazing arc of fire swept out from her blade. Ruby tried to dodge it, but the scorching wave slammed into her. It threw her backward and she smashed into, and through, a tree.

Growling, Ruby got to her feet. She felt the familiar spark of anger as she charged forward. She slipped back into her semblance and hurtled toward Raven. Another arc of fire came toward her, but she was ready for it. Ruby pulled, and split herself into two pieces. The two comets swirled around Raven, trailing rose petals. Raven had a slight look of surprise on her face as she slashed ineffectively at Ruby. With a shout Ruby pulled herself together suddenly and swung at Raven, only have the wind knocked out of her by a viscous kick to the stomach. Landing on her feet, Ruby tried stood back up only to feel the tip of Raven’s sword against her throat.

“We’re done for the day,” Raven said, sheathing her sword suddenly. “You did well. I’ll admit I wasn't prepared for you to be able to...split yourself like that. Unpredictability can win battles. Unfortunately that was ruined by your tendency to scream as you attack.” Her cold, aloof look was back. Despite the apparent lack of emotion, Ruby could tell she disapproved.

Ruby flushed slightly. “I hit harder when I shout like that.” The excuse sounded bad, even to her.

“It doesn't matter how hard you might hit if your opponent has a chance to defend themselves. You are too easy to set off Ruby. You fight with too much emotion, too much anger. Fighting angry makes you do stupid things. I would have thought you understood that, considering what you have done.”

Ruby glowered at Raven. Did she have to keep reminding Ruby of what happened? Glancing over at Weiss, who hadn't given up on convincing Ruby to leave, she figured that she would never be able to forget. Weiss following her around just made sure of that. “It makes me stronger. If I can control it-”

“Trying to control anger in the midst of battle is foolish. Emotion like that will eventually get the best of you if you rely on it. You need to keep a cool head. Keep pressure on your opponent, yes, but don't be reckless. It won’t matter how strong you are if you get killed.”

“I’ve seen you fight, it looks pretty reckless. You just smash your way through your enemy’s defense.”

“I do it deliberately, calmly. So many huntsmen and huntresses use flowery and overly complex fighting styles. They hardly expect someone to simply try and push their way through. The best way past an obstacle is through it.”

Ruby thought about this for a moment. “Can’t you just move around some obstacles? It seems like it would be faster.”

“Speed isn't everything Ruby. You should remember that, even with your semblance. An obstacle you avoid is one that could come back to haunt you. If you destroy it however, you won’t have to worry about it again.”

“Even if it’s a person?”

“Yes,” Raven said bluntly. She noticed the look on Ruby’s face and continued. “When you engage in battle you should be prepared to kill. Your enemy won’t always be merciful, and if you hold back you leave yourself open. Mercy is for the weak, Ruby. You yourself are an example of this. Cinder chose to let you live, despite the fact that you can exploit her greatest weakness. She should have killed you instead. You were weak, and the weak die.”

Ruby was a little unsettled at how matter-of-factly Raven spoke about this. “You saved me.”

Raven sighed. “Yes. I did it because you have great potential, and because you have a rare and powerful ability. You are an asset, and only a fool throws an asset away.”

“She’s just using you Ruby. She may be honest about it, but that doesn't change the fact that she’s using you. Leave. Go find your family,” Weiss said, yet again. She looked warily at Raven. “I don't like how easily she talks about killing.”

Ruby was about to say something, but was interrupted as Lily walked up. “You haven't been beating her too badly, have you? We agreed that I would train her today.” Lily smiled at Ruby, and Ruby smiled back. Weiss shuddered.

“You’re going to train me?”

“Yup!” Lily said brightly. She had a broad smile on her face. “It’s not exactly the same as mine, but I’m going to try and teach you to use your power.” She threw an arm around Ruby and started to lead her away. “It’s going to be fun!”

* * *

Raven watched Lily lead Ruby away. Ruby was strong, but she had a long way to go. She was still so naive. Even Qrow, who apparently trained the girl, was willing to kill people. Raven couldn’t understand why Ruby was so against it.

Raven sighed and sat down on a nearby rock. She had lied to Ruby when she told her why she saved her. True, the girl’s power was useful and with proper training she could become a great warrior, but that wasn't the only reason Raven had saved her. The real reason was more…emotional. No matter how much that made Raven uncomfortable. She laid back on the rock and closed her eyes.

**Twelve years ago**

“Summer!” Raven shouted, walking quickly toward her. Summer stopped and spun around. Her expression went dark when she caught sight of Raven.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice cold. Raven hadn’t ever heard Summer sound like that before, the warmth usually present was gone. Raven steeled herself, and pressed on.

“It’s about the mission Ozpin gave you. You can't go.”

Summer scoffed. “Who are you to tell me what I can and can't do?”

“Summer, if you go you’ll die. I’ve seen it. You’ll die and leave both your daughter and mine motherless.”

Summer’s expression switched to outright anger. She walked closer to Raven, jaw tight and eyes hard. “Your daughter?! You don’t have a daughter. You lost the right to call Yang that the moment you left.” Summer jabbed a finger into Raven’s chest and Raven winced, but Summer just went on. “And why are you suddenly pretending to care? Let’s assume for just a moment that I believe your prophecy nonsense, why do you come back five years later and act like you care about me or either of _my_ daughters?”

“I came back because I still care. Because you’re still my friend and I don't want to see you dead.”

“If you cared you never would have left.”

“If I stayed you wouldn’t have Ruby.” 

Summer hit Raven, hard. She stumbled backwards before catching herself. “You leave my family out of this. They have nothing to do with you and whatever reasons you say you have for leaving. I go on missions to save lives and to make a better world for my daughters. I don't know how you found out about this mission but it’s important. I’m not going to abandon it because you came out of the woodwork with insane claims you know my fate.” Summer turned and started to walk away but Raven grabbed her wrist to stop her.

“Summer, please,” Raven said, her voice filled with emotion. “Please don't go. I know you don't believe me and I don't expect you to understand or even forgive me for leaving. You were my first real friend, and I love you even if you don't believe it. I don't want to see you dead, or see Yang lose another mother, because of this stupid mission.”

Summer studied Raven’s face, her expression questioning. She sighed. “I can't put this off. Salem’s a huge threat, you were there with us when Ozpin told us everything. If I can find out where she is then we might be able to stop her. It’s just a reconnaissance mission. I find her, I come back. Believe me, I have no plans of dying and leaving my family behind.”

Raven sighed, defeated. Nobody ever believed her. She had long since started to see her semblance as a curse rather than a gift. “You will,” she said softly. An image of Summer, bloody and chained to a wall, flashed in her mind.

Summer smiled, just a little. “For what it’s worth, I do think you still care about me in your own way. You were always cold and aloof, but you stood with the people you loved no matter what.” Her smile faded. “But I can’t forgive you Raven, and sadly I can't trust you anymore either. You abandoned Tai, you abandoned your own child. I saw the aftermath of that. It almost destroyed Tai. Luckily Yang was too little to know. She doesn't even know you exist and I intend to keep it that way.” Summer’s expression turned sad, and Raven felt a stab of emotion she thought she’d long forgotten. “I’m going on this mission, and you can't stop me. Goodbye Raven. With that, Summer walked off without looking back.

Raven’s head dropped, tears welling up in her eyes. Defeated yet again, Raven opened a portal home. She wiped her eyes and forced herself to look cold and emotionless. You couldn’t show weakness in front of the tribe.

* * *

A few days later Raven sat in her tent, wondering if Summer had fallen to her tormentors yet. She was sick of seeing visions of her or her loved ones suffering and not being able to do anything about it. Her damned semblance had shown her that she was destined to end up alone, and that her closest friend in the world was going to die alone and helpless. She had told people, time and time again, about her visions. No one ever believed her, and yet they always came to pass. What good was being able to see the future if nobody believed you?

Raven wondered, not for the first time, if she could do something to change them herself. The last time she had tried to stop one had been disastrous. That village had only been destroyed faster due to her interference. Fate, it seemed, had chosen simply to curse her.

She laid back, her thoughts scattered. She had nearly fallen asleep when something occurred to her. If Summer was destined to die, what was the worst thing that Raven could do? Raven’s eyes snapped open and she grabbed her sword. She would try again.

One more time. 

Sliding on her mask, she sliced through the air and the portal opened.

* * *

Raven stepped through the portal, and found herself in a hallway made from dark stone. It was lined with candles, but few were lit. She crept quietly toward the nearest door and pressed her ear to it. She heard a ragged cough, followed by a breathless shout of pain. Summer.

Raven slowly opened the door and saw a woman standing there, holding a bloody knife. She was tall, and her hair was so black that it seemed to be sucking in what little light the room had. “Give me what I want and the pain will stop,” the woman said, her words honeyed.

Summer laughed, which turned into another cough. “I’m pretty sure that’s evil code for you murdering me. No thanks.” She looked just as she had in Raven’s vision. She knelt there, chained to a wall. Her clothes were torn and tattered, and bruises covered her skin. She was bleeding from several wounds, and she was pale. Paler than normal, far too pale. 

Raven took a deep breath, and quietly drew her sword. She didn't know who this woman was or what she could do, so she had to be quick. Raven slowly opened the door and crept up behind the woman. Summer noticed her, and her eyes went wide. “What a-” the woman started to say, but Raven grabbed her and clamped her hand down on the woman’s mouth. She attempted to slice the woman’s throat, but was stopped. Aura. That always made quietly killing someone harder. 

The woman started to struggle, but Raven was stronger. Raven moved and slammed her head into the wall as hard as she could, dazing her. She threw the woman to the floor, slamming her head into that for good measure. Raven pressed her foot into the woman’s throat, cutting off her air. The woman struggled, amber eyes wide, as Raven hacked at her repeatedly. Finally, Raven saw what she was waiting for as a flicker of red energy spread across the woman before disappearing entirely. Raven moved her foot, but quickly slammed her sword down through the woman’s throat before she could make a noise.

Raven hurried over to Summer, slicing the chains the held her. Summer fell forward, but Raven caught her. Summer coughed again, sounding weaker. “Raven?” Her voice was weak, her breath ragged and harsh. “How did you know I was here?” Summer paused for a moment before she smiled weakly. “Maybe you can see the future after all. I guess this is where I die then.”

“No,” Raven said forcefully. “No you will not. Not when you have family to go home to.” Gently, she propped Summer up against the wall. Grabbing her sword, she wiped the blood off using the dead woman’s clothes. She swung it through the air, ripping open another portal. She grabbed Summer, trying to be as gentle as possible. “We’re going to see a doctor.” She looked down at Summer, and saw that her eyes were starting to glaze. “Summer!” she said as loud as she dared, “Stay awake. Please, you have to stay awake.”

“So...tired...” Summer said, voice barely a whisper. Raven gritted her teeth and hurried toward the portal. She stepped through and the man on the other side jumped as he saw her. They were in a small office  
“Raven?” he said, shocked. Then he noticed Summer. “Put her on the desk. Just shove everything out of the way, we have to hurry.” Raven nodded and gently set Summer down. The doctor stepped in and immediately got to work. Grabbing something from his desk, he quickly stitched the worst of her wounds and began checking her over. “She’s lost a great deal of blood, and she’s suffered a lot of blunt force trauma as well. She’s going to need a blood transfusion. Do you know her blood type?” Raven shook her head and the doctor nodded. “I’ll be right back, I have to go get some blood from storage.” He hurried off, leaving them alone in the room.

“Raven?” Summer said weakly.

“I’m here,” Raven said, grabbing Summer’s hand. Summer looked up at her, tears welling in her eyes.

“You were right. I’m not going to make it.”

“Summer, don’t -”

“I’m dying Raven. I guess I should have listened to you.” She coughed and a bit of blood came with it. “Raven…please watch after my daughters. If you can see the future then you should be able to keep them safe.” Summer clasped Raven’s hand weakly. “Promise me you’ll look after them. Please.”

“I promise,” Raven said, her voice catching. She felt something wet hit her hand, and realized she’d started to cry. Summer muttered something and then she went limp. “Summer?” Raven asked desperately. She shook her gently. “Summer please, wake up.” Raven sobbed, the emotions she’d held back bursting forth. She held Summer to her chest, weeping. She’d been so close. She managed to rescue Summer, to pull her out of the dungeon but she still died. 

Raven had waited too long to try and thwart fate. Never again.

“I’m sorry Raven,” she heard the doctor say.

“Get out,” she whispered.

“What?”

“GET OUT!” she roared. The doctor hadn’t been good enough, and it took all her restraint not to cut him down as he scurried away. Gently, she picked up Summer’s body and opened another portal.

A few minutes later she stood atop a mountain, the wind whipping at her clothes. A crude cairn was in front of her, a monument to her last friend. To the last person she cared for deeply. She knew she should probably care more about Yang but the girl was, now more than ever, just a reminder of what she’d almost had. What she’d eventually lost. 

Honestly though, Raven was having trouble caring about much of anything right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a short chapter, but it seemed like a good place to end it.
> 
> Also a little more of my headcanon backstory for Raven.
> 
> And once again the extra note from way back in chapter 1 appears! I really wish I could find out what's causing that.


	6. Chapter 6

Yang looked out over the edge of the boat, hoping to see something interesting. Sighing, she slumped over the railing. “What’s up kiddo?” a gravelly voice came from behind her. She turned and saw Qrow standing there, flask in hand. Yang glared at him and he put the flask away.

“I’m so _bored_. It feels like we’ve been on this boat for an eternity.”

“It’s been ten days,” Blake said from behind her book. Blake’s nose had been buried in books since the first day of the boat trip. Yang had no idea how Blake could read here. Yang just got sick.

“Fine, then it’s been a brief eternity.” Yang slumped into one of the other deck chairs.

“That’s not a thing,” Blake said, still not looking up. Yang glared at her.

“You can’t just let me have this can you?”

“Nope,” Blake said with a smile. Yang threw her chair cushion at Blake, getting a small yelp of surprise in return. Blake gave her a flat look but Yang just smiled back, victorious in getting the Faunus girl to look at something other than her book.

“You realize,” Jaune said, relaxing in a chair near the edge of the deck, “we’re going into a Grimm infested area to look for, and possibly fight, a large group of bandits. And then possibly also fight in another huge battle. Why wouldn't you want to relax while you can?”

Yang leaned back in the chair, staring upward at nothing. “I guess I’m just restless.”

“Ruby?” Jaune guessed.

Yang nodded. “It’s been months. Everyone thought she was dead, and now we know where she is. And where my mother is. Just sitting around waiting is driving me crazy. I want to be doing something.”

“There’ll be plenty of stuff to do soon, firecracker. Especially if we can’t get another ship to take us the rest of the way to Mistral,” Qrow said. “Hope you kids like walking.”

“Yeah,” Jaune said, sarcasm thick in his voice, “just love it.”

Yang laughed. “C’mon vomit boy, at least if we walk you’ll be able to eat again.” He glared at her and she smiled back sweetly. 

Yang heard footsteps and turned to see her dad coming toward them. She was a little surprised to see him. He’d been holed up in his and Qrow’s cabin for most of the trip so far, puking his guts out. Qrow promised that he’d kept her dad from drinking, and that it was just him going through withdrawal. He’d even shown her the medicine that Oobleck had given him to keep Taiyang from dying.

Honestly he still looked like crap, but he also looked more lucid than he had in a while. He walked up to Yang and gave her a watery smile. “Hey, can we talk? In private?” Yang nodded and they got up and walked to the far end of the deck. Taiyang leaned on the railing and sighed. “I need to apologize to you Yang.”

“What?” She was caught off guard by his bluntness.

“I’ve been a terrible father lately. Hearing that Ruby was dead...after what happened with Summer and Raven it just broke me. That isn't an excuse for what I put you through though. You were hurting too, and I was too focused on my own pain to notice. Too focused on...” He paused.

“Trying to drink yourself to death?” she asked. She immediately regretted it. Taiyang winced and turned his head away.

“Yeah,” he said quietly, “I guess so.” He stood up and turned to face her. The bags under his eyes made it look like he hadn't slept in months. His blue eyes locked onto hers. “I’m sorry I wasn't there for you. I’m sorry I made you take care of me because I was an idiot. I promise you right now that it won’t happen again. If it does I want you to hit me as hard as you can.” Yang laughed suddenly, she couldn’t help it. He smiled, and for a moment looked like his old self again. Then his smile fell, replaced by a look of worry. “Can you forgive me?.”

Yang just stood there for a second, and then she rushed forward and grabbed him. She hugged him as hard as she could, and he hugged her back. She felt tears start to fall down her cheeks. “Of course I can.” Something wet hit her shoulder and she realized that her dad was crying too. “I love you, dad.”

He squeezed her even tighter. “I love you too Yang.”

* * *

Lily led Ruby to a small clearing well away from the rest of the tribe. She looked around, pale curls bouncing, and nodded. “Here should be good.”

“So how does this work, you beat me up like Raven does but with magic?”

Lily laughed brightly, her hazel eyes twinkling. “Not exactly. First we have to get a handle on your powers, then we work on refining them.”

A confused look swept Ruby’s face. “What do you mean ‘get a handle on them’?”

“Well, your power is different from mine. Your power hurts the Grimm. It might make you stronger and faster, but normal people shouldn't be hurt by the actual power. My power is more similar to the forces of nature. I can throw fire, lightning, and so on. I can even make plants and stuff grow quickly, it’s really hard though.”

A thought flashed across Ruby’s mind. “Can you heal?”

“I can’t fix your eye, if that’s what your asking.” 

“Oh,” Ruby said softly. No matter, it was better this way. If her eye had been fixed she might have forgotten what she did to deserve it.

“It shouldn't matter. Your eyes give you access to the power, losing one shouldn't affect how strong it is.” That wasn't what Ruby had been thinking of, but she thought it made sense. “So, the first thing I want you to do is tell me what it felt like when you used it.”

Ruby shivered at the memory. It was just one more awful thing to remember from that night. “It...hurt. A lot. It felt like I was going to explode. Staying conscious was hard, let alone moving. It’s why Emerald was able to cut my eye so easily. Cinder was just screaming.” The memory of that scream, though she had barely noticed it at the time, stirred something in Ruby. Something ugly. 

Ruby smiled. Cinder had been too weak to kill Ruby, and now Ruby was training so she could kill Cinder. This is what Raven meant about obstacles. Cinder hadn't destroyed Ruby and it was going to be her downfall. Cinder was weak and Ruby was becoming stronger.

Ruby felt like she was starting to understand Raven’s philosophy. 

Weiss’ eyes shifted immediately from Lily to Ruby. She looked worried.

Lily’s voice snapped Ruby from her reverie. “What do you mean ‘Cinder was screaming’?” Lily’s gaze was intense, her normal too-wide smile was gone.

“When I opened myself up to the power there as a huge flash of silver light, and suddenly Cinder screamed in agony,” Ruby said, her voice taking on an odd quality. “I don’t know what happened to her, the next thing I knew I was awake in a cave somewhere.” Raven still hadn't told her why she left her there. Couldn’t they have spent all this time training if Ruby hadn't been abandoned in the woods?

“Hmm,” Lily said thoughtfully. “It shouldn't have affected her like that, at least not how I understand things. You’ll just have to be careful.” She paused and locked eyes with Ruby. “Don’t hit me with your power or I might have to kill you.” Ruby’s eyes went wide and she reached for Crescent Rose. Lily laughed, and her unsettling smile returned. 

“If that’s her idea of a joke it isn't funny,” Weiss growled. Ruby definitely agreed with her, but a small part of her was worried that it wasn't.

“Now, the first thing I want you to do is show me your power. Not too much, otherwise you’ll end up feeling like you’re going to explode again. The human body can only handle so much power, and yours isn't used to it yet.”

Ruby nodded, and hesitantly reached inside to the place where her power sat. She found the bright silvery feeling and reached for it, careful to barely touch the surface.

A flash of light came from her eyes as Ruby felt the energy course through her. In an instant, the fatigue and ache of her fight with Raven subsided. She felt wonderful, like she had just taken a long nap. She looked over at Lily, who was studying her intently.  
“How do you feel?” she asked.

“Amazing,” Ruby said quietly. “It feels like I didn't even spar with Raven earlier.”

Lily hummed. She walked toward Ruby and hesitantly reached out and touched Ruby’s arm. Ruby looked down and noticed that she was glowing faintly. Lily poked her a few more times. “Well it doesn't seem to be hurting me. I guess I won’t need to kill you after all.” She smiled at Ruby. Ruby didn't react, although the girl’s sense of humor unsettled her. “Alright, I want you to open yourself up some more. Right up until the point where it hurts.”

Ruby nodded and reached for her power. Slowly, she let out more. The light surrounding her body flashed again, illuminating the forest briefly. It felt like electricity was shooting through her body. She wanted to run, to see how fast she could move. How well she could fight. There was a small, burning pain, but it was weak enough that she could ignore it. A low growl caught her attention and Ruby turned.

A pack of Beowolves was slinking out of the forest, their glowing eyes malevolent. “Oh good. Finally some Grimm.” Lily sat down on a nearby rock and looked at Ruby. “Kill them. I want to see you in action.” Ruby nodded and deployed Crescent Rose, smiling. This was going to be fun.

* * *

A few hours later Ruby sat alone in her tent, tired and sore. She had torn through the Beowolves easily, but there had been so many. Lily hadn't done anything, saying that she wanted to see if the legends were true. Apparently they were. Some of the Grimm had fled from Ruby, something she’d never heard of. Even stranger, she had seen their faces. They were afraid. The Grimm, the living embodiment of fear itself, were afraid of Ruby. It was an interesting feeling.

“Since when do you like being feared?” Weiss asked.

“They’re Grimm, Weiss. It’s not like they don’t deserve a little fear.”

“You always talked about becoming a huntress to save people, to be a hero. You wanted to make people _less_ afraid.”

“The part of me that believed in heroes died with you,” Ruby said with a scoff.

Weiss stared at her, pale eyes judging. “I liked you more before you met up with Raven. I don’t like what spending time with her is doing to you.”

Ruby laughed. “What, you liked the broken little thing struggling to say alive in the woods?”

“I liked you before you wanted to kill people.”

“Cinder **_deserves_** to die,” Ruby said, her voice hard. She was starting to shake with anger. She needed to calm down. Ruby opened her tent and walked toward the forest.

“This is what I’m talking about,” Weiss said, sounding worried. “Who are you to say who deserves to die?” Ruby ignored her. There were too many people around, she didn't want anyone to think she was crazy. “You can ignore me all you want, that won’t stop me from talking. They can’t hear me.”

Ruby walked for a while, continuing to ignore Weiss. It was the same stuff she always said, going back to her family and seeking forgiveness. What was the point in that? Nobody would forgive her anyway. Not even Yang. She had seen what Ruby did after all. Eventually Ruby got to a small clearing atop a hill and stopped.

“I’m sure Yang would forgive you. You just have to explain what happened. You weren't yourself, Cinder tricked you,” Weiss repeated. “The only one that won’t forgive you is you.”

“I don't deserve it,” Ruby said for the thousandth time.

“You’re the only one that thinks that.” Weiss floated in front of her, concern written on her pale face. “Just go back to your family Ruby. You need them.”

“I’m not going back,” Ruby said firmly, turning away.

“Ruby -”

“I said I’m **not going back**!” Ruby shouted, anger taking her. She spun, deploying Crescent Rose as she did, and swung. The blade passed through Weiss, causing her to fuzz. Weiss’ face mirrored the shock on Ruby’s as the pale-haired girl split in two and faded.

Ruby stood there for a moment, stunned. She had just killed her friend again. As her flash of anger faded, Ruby knew for sure that Weiss was wrong. Nobody would ever forgive her.

Rustling in the grass told Ruby that someone was coming. Ruby turned and saw Raven walking toward her. “Collect your things. We’re leaving.” Without saying another word she turned and walked away. Ruby started to walk back to camp, feeling numb. 

For the first time in months she was truly alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like to think the somehow ended up on the exact same boat that Blake/Yang took in the actual series. That might just be because it's the only passenger boat we've seen in the show though.
> 
> It's a bit of a short chapter. Sorry about the long break. You know how it is, life happens. I have a long weekend this week so I'm going to try and get another chapter done, or at least write a good portion of the next one.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the back half of the previous chapter. I ended it here because there's another short timeskip, and it wouldn't have felt right to do that halfway through a chapter.

Dr Arthur Watts, master engineer and unparalleled programmer, was beside himself. The ‘guards’ that had been assigned to him by that pompous Schnee were complete idiots. They were lazy and easily distracted, and neither one seemed to have a decent grasp of computing. How they were supposed to stop him from sabotaging the tower was beyond him. He hadn’t even needed to use any of the information he’d gotten from that coward Lionheart.

He was barely trying to hide what he was doing. Nobody seemed to be noticing. They were far too trusting. Even that raving lunatic Tyrian could have done this without getting noticed. He had already taken control of the administrative accounts on the CCT network and was working to ensure he could shut it down at will. He would of course be less theatrical than Cinder. The idiot child had blown her cover by letting her minion film her.

“Dr. Watts?” he heard from behind him. Sighing inwardly, he put on a smile for this fool.

He turned around and saw one of the supposed guards standing near him. “Yes?” he asked, voice carefully kept even.

“It’s time to go back for the evening, sir.” The guard, Watts couldn’t be bothered to remember his name, always seemed nervous around him. Watts supposed it was appropriate, although the guard clearly didn't know _why_ he should be nervous. It was probably better that way. If he did, Watts would end up having to kill the fool. Disposing of bodies was always such an inconvenience.

Watts nodded and locked the terminal he had been using. He was sure his changes, both to the physical and logical parts of the tower, were being inspected. He had hidden a small, innocuous bug that notified him whenever his code was accessed. The shutdown instructions had been largely ignored, as they were hidden within general maintenance protocols. Tomorrow he would begin work on something a bit more...spectacular. Tonight, unfortunately, he had to meet with those animals in the White Fang. Hazel, the only member of Salem’s team that was worth something, had been helping them build their numbers while Watts had been assisting with more technical issues.

He bid the guards farewell and went to his hotel. He spent some time on normal day-to-day activities, eating and the like. Roughly, but not exactly, two hours later he went out to a local club. As he usually did. The owner, who he had paid quite handsomely for his discretion, led him to a private room. Watts’ body double was waiting when he arrived. He left quietly out of the back entrance, leaving the double for the Atlesians to spy on.

Making his way through the city, Watts was careful not to be seen. After making sure to take a path that would shake any possible followers, Watts entered the dingy warehouse that the White Fang was currently using as a headquarters. He had no idea why these types seemed to prefer such decrepit locations. It was obvious that if trouble were to start, places of this sort would be checked first.

It was of little consequence. When trouble did start, the locals would be much to busy to investigate anyway. They would be far to busy dealing with the destruction of this poor excuse of a city.

When he arrived in the ill-lit office he saw that Sienna Khan was already waiting for him. The Taurus boy was there too. Wonderful. The boy may be strong but he was also an idiot. He was far too passionate, and far too focused on revenge. He also had plans to wrest the leadership of the White Fang from Khan, which he of course assumed only his followers knew. Watts needed to delay that as long as possible. That fool would ruin months of careful planning by moving too quickly.

“Ah, Doctor Watts, welcome,” Khan said with a broad smile. Watts wondered if she knew that she was as much a pawn as anyone else her group. “Can I get you anything? Tea, perhaps?”

“Tea, please,” Watts said as he sat. Khan ordered one of her underlings to fetch tea for them. The young woman ran off, leaving him alone with Khan and Taurus. “Forgive me for being so forward, but why did you call this meeting?”

“Certain members of our group are worried that you haven't delivered yet,” Khan said placidly. The chair creaked as she leaned back, the Taurus boy looming over him. The boy clearly wanted to speak up, but apparently wasn't willing to show such insubordination yet. It was almost clever, how he pretended to be obedient.

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Watts simply said, “It takes time, Sienna. The Atlesian military may not have sent their sharpest minds but even a complete idiot would be able to figure out what I was doing if I wasn't careful. Rigging the CCT is something that must be done carefully.” Not to mention his own plans of trying to spread his control to the other two towers. If he was able to do that it would make taking out Atlas and Vacuo so much simpler.

“Of course, of course. I understand completely, but my people are growing restless. Recruitment is dwindling, as we appear to be doing nothing, and some of our members-”

She was cut off by the Taurus boy. “Some of us think you’re lying. After Vale it seems more like you’re using our revolution for your own ends. I don’t think your master would like that.” Watts gave the boy a flat look. He didn't understand what Salem saw in this whelp. She saw him as loyal, but Watts’ interactions with him made it seem like he was more loyal to this idiotic revolution than to Salem. Watts was of the opinion that you couldn’t trust people recruited under threat of death. Yet another one of Cinder’s foolish blunders.

“Adam,” Khan said firmly, “Doctor Watts has been quite helpful. In addition to helping us find weapons suppliers he’s also provided us with a new design.” Khan turned to Watts, a questioning look on her face. “By the way, this design is quite different from the ones we used in Vale.”

Sighing internally, Watts explained. “Of course they are. We didn't have nearly the same need for secrecy in Vale. It didn't matter what they looked like, as long as they did their job. These will have to be hidden around the city, possibly for some time. If they were too obvious they’d be found.” Honestly. How this group had survived was beyond him.

“Ah of course. So they’ll be just as effective then?”

“Not entirely. Sacrifices must be made.” Watts noticed the Taurus boy bristle at that. “All the power in the world would be meaningless if they were noticed. The police would get involved and your chances of being discovered would skyrocket.” Khan nodded at this, though Taurus seemed displeased. That seemed to be his default disposition, although that silly mask made it hard to tell. “Are we through? I can’t be gone too long.”

“Of course. The current timetable still stands then?”

“Yes.” He couldn’t wait until this assignment was through. He was sick of dealing with this riffraff. Hopefully Salem would send him on a more interesting mission next time. Khan nodded, and Watts turned and made his way out of the shabby warehouse. He could feel Taurus’ eyes boring into his back. That boy would be trouble.

It was no matter. Watts could deal with the boy if he needed to. Salem would understand, and the world would be rid of one more stupid animal. Smiling as he walked through the darkened streets, Watts began to plan.

* * *

Disastrous. That was the only word that Winter could use to describe the last few weeks. First Qrow had shown up, which was doubly annoying now that he refused to follow General Ironwood’s orders, and caused a major disturbance in the city. Shapeshifting in plain view, honestly. Winter never understood how Headmaster Ozpin had trusted someone with so little discipline.

Then she had found out that Ruby Rose was still alive. It had taken all of Winter’s willpower not to leave immediately and hunt her down. Winter wanted to bring in the girl personally. She could never, ever forgive that monster for taking Weiss from her. Winter would see justice done. Even if it meant standing aside while father used his… influence to affect things.

Rose, of course, wasn't content with coming in and had made things even worse. She had teamed up with a woman later identified as Raven Branwen. Branwen had killed two of Winter’s operatives, including poor Cerise. Fenris was devastated at the death of his wife and had to be sent back to Atlas. Winter was down two specialists, and the situation was only deteriorating. 

The White Fang had started to acquire dust. If Vale was any indication, they were building bombs. Winter had spoken with several people and had determined that there were not any forgotten tunnels in Mistral, ruling out an attack similar to the one in Vale. Winter had sent one of her faunus specialists to try and infiltrate the Fang. She needed to know exactly what they were up to.

Watts was the only thing working in her favor. His latest report showed that the towers, minus the Vale tower of course, would be back up and running within a month. Despite her best efforts, Qrow had gotten to her and she had started to pay closer attention to Watts. As expected, Winter was unable to find any evidence of any misdeed. Either he was far better than she was or he was simply an engineer trying to do his job. 

Her thoughts were interrupted by Lt. Carmine bursting through her door. “I apologize for the intrusion ma’am,” he said with a salute. He handed her his scroll, which showed the map of an area in the far south of Anima, as well as several pictures of a large group of shabby looking people. “We’ve found them, ma’am. The bandit tribe that Branwen leads. Scouts located them a few hours ago.” 

Winter’s eyes narrowed. “Prepare a strike force. Get everyone available, specialists included. These people are dangerous. I am authorizing deadly force. Branwen and Rose are to be taken alive if possible.” Winter dismissed Carmine and looked again at the map. Her hand tightened around the hilt of her rapier. It was time for Ruby Rose to face justice.

* * *

Six hours later Winter rode in a bullhead with other members of the strike team. The strike force consisted of six bullheads, filled entirely with flesh and blood soldiers. Knights were useful against the Grimm but any trained warrior would make short work of them. All six of the specialists under her command were there as well. She turned to address them.

“We will be arriving in five minutes. These people are extremely dangerous, and every one of them is a killer. Do not hesitate to use deadly force, as I doubt they will hesitate to kill you. Our primary targets are Ruby Rose and Raven Branwen. Our secondary objective is eliminating this tribe.” Everyone nodded. The bullhead pilot signaled that they were heading in for a landing. Winter drew her sword, fingers tightening around the hilt.

The bullhead touched down and the strike force moved immediately. Sword drawn, Winter leapt from the bullhead with the rest of the specialists. Landing, she held up her sword, ready to guard against...nothing. Looking around, she saw signs of an encampment but no people. She radioed the bullhead’s pilot. “Scout the area. They couldn’t have gotten far.” The bullhead quickly took off. Winter sent the specialists out as well.

An hour later the scouts all reported in. There was no sign of anyone. They weren't even able to find signs of travel. “How?” Winter demanded, irritation showing through her usual discipline. “This is a very large group, there’s no possible way they could have moved without leaving a trail.” She wasn't going to let Rose escape, not again.

“They must have some other way of getting around, or perhaps someone has a semblance that can hide a trail,” one of the specialists said. Winter thought about this. They couldn’t have aircraft, that would have been noticed. She’d never heard of a semblance that could hide so many people either, but you could never be sure with something so unpredictable. 

“Widen the search area,” she snapped, “if they can move that quickly they might be an greater threat than we imagined. Notify me the moment you have anything.” Everyone saluted and moved off, though Winter had noticed a few of them looking apprehensive. It didn't matter as long as they followed orders. The bandits needed dealt with.

Furious, Winter boarded a bullhead and started back toward Mistral. Rose had escaped her once again. It didn't matter. Winter would find the monster and bring her to justice.

No matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I finally figured out why that note kept moving around, and now I feel kinda dumb. Turns out it was attached to the fic as a whole, not the first chapter. Fixed it.


	8. Chapter 8

Ruby quickly moved to the side as the axe came swinging down. She spun and smashed the back end of Crescent Rose into the man’s head, sending him tumbling to the ground. She fired and shot over the limp man and flew past the next, hooking him with her blade. His feet were ripped from beneath him and he fell. Ruby dodged a sword strike from a third opponent and stepped back to deliver a vicious kick to the prone man’s head, taking him out of the fight.

She turned to face her single remaining opponent, and managed to pull Crescent Rose up just in time to block the crimson blade. Raven smiled and pushed, knowing she was stronger. Ruby struggled for a moment before stepping to the side and letting Raven’s blade slide down the haft of Crescent Rose with a steely rasp. Hoping to catch her off balance, Ruby swung as hard as she could.

Unfortunately Raven had already recovered. She jumped over Ruby’s strike and smashed the flat of her blade into the side of Ruby’s head, dazing her. The world spun for a moment, the sun briefly becoming blinding. Instinctively Ruby leapt and fired, throwing herself into the air. Her vision cleared and Ruby fired again, throwing herself toward Raven. The older woman readied herself to strike.

Ruby smiled as she slipped into her semblance and pulled herself into three pieces. She’d gotten good at that. She whirled around Raven, who struggled to strike at her. She managed to swing through one of the comets but Ruby simply split herself again to let the blade through. Taking advantage of Raven’s slight over-extension, Ruby snapped back into her body and pressed the attack.

She was relentless, using a small bit of her semblance’s enhanced speed to make her attacks faster. Raven blocked each strike, but it wasn't effortless. Ruby kept up her relentless assault, looking for – there, an opening. Ruby swung viciously, but Raven twisted out of the way at the last moment. “Good,” she said, swinging for Ruby’s head. “You’re taking your opponents down quickly, and not hesitating to go for the kill. If I were less skilled you might have hit me.”

Ruby was irked by the words, but she knew Raven meant it as a compliment. Ruby charged at Raven, swinging at an upward angle. There was a sudden clap of thunder and Ruby leapt just in time to avoid a column of flame. She could feel the heat as it passed just beneath her, singing her hair. She spun, planted Crescent Rose blade first into the ground, and began to fire at Lily. The girl smiled as the bullets smashed into the invisible barrier in front of her, completely harmless. Growling, Ruby launched herself at the small girl. 

Raven appeared suddenly at her side, her sword slamming into Ruby’s aura. Ruby knew that had to have taken a decent chunk out of it, and fired herself backward to keep from getting hit again. Lily smiled as she gathered fire and Raven stepped into a guard position, waiting. 

Ruby knew she wasn't good enough to beat both of them at once, especially since she’d never even beaten either one alone. She wasn't about to give up though, not when she could still fight. Surrender was weakness, and the weak died. 

Ruby reached into herself and tapped the power within. A flash of silver-white light exploded from her, and Ruby felt the familiar surge of energy. The power itself seemed to only directly affect creatures of Grimm, but tapping into the power made her a little faster and a little stronger. More importantly, it washed away her fatigue. 

She lunged toward Raven, hoping that the flash had momentarily blinded her. If it had, she’d recovered faster than Ruby anticipated. Ruby ducked under a sword swing, rolling to the side. As she got back to her feet she was met by Raven’s boot as the red-eyed woman ruthlessly kicked her in the face. She slammed backward into the ground and saw the familiar shimmer of her aura breaking.

Getting quickly to her feet, Ruby assumed a defensive position. She still glowed with a faint nimbus of silver light, her power unaffected by the loss of her aura. “Enough,” Raven said, sheathing her sword. The flames around Lily dispersed. Ruby’s brow furrowed. “It’s admirable that you want to continue without aura, but I’m afraid that the two of us would kill you if we continued to fight.” She turned and began to walk away. “We’re moving again tomorrow. Gather your things.”

Ruby sighed and sheathed Crescent Rose. Lily walked up to her, smiling. “You did a good job adapting to an unexpected situation Ruby.”

“Well, I figured jumping was better than having my hair burned halfway off again,” Ruby said, a faint smile on her face.

Lily laughed brightly and sat down on a nearby stone. “You’ve improved a lot since you first came here.”

“Thanks.”

“And you don’t look like a skeleton with hair anymore. Your current look is a lot better.”

Ruby shot a half-hearted glare at her. “Well, you know I figured looking scary was your thing. I didn't want to step on your toes.” Lily laughed again. She was right though. Constant training alongside a good, if somewhat dubious, source of food had made things so much better. Over the past couple of months she’d put a decent amount of muscle back on. She felt so much better than she had in the woods.

“Do you guys always move so much? We’ve been moving every few days since I’ve been here.”

Lily looked troubled. “No. Usually we only move if we need supplies or when the Grimm get to be too much. We rarely move around with Raven’s portals either, but lately we’ve been using them every time. She must think something’s up.” 

Probably more of that prophecy nonsense, Ruby thought. Raven was probably just paranoid. It didn't matter either way. Ruby would move all over Remnant if that’s what it took for her to become strong enough to defeat Cinder.

* * *

A week and two more moves later, Ruby found herself having to make a horrible choice. “If you want to continue to eat you will assist us,” Raven said. Her voice had an edge to it, the same edge it always got when someone disagreed with her. 

“But...they’re innocent people. They didn't do anything to us, why should we attack them?” Ruby had only just found out about the planned attack. A small village, called Shion, was nearby. Raven told her that they were going to go in and take the supplies they needed. It was one thing to slaughter Grimm, and enjoy the fact that the monsters were afraid of Ruby. Killing villagers was on a different level entirely.

“What is the one rule I have taught you? The only rule of the wildlands?”

“The strong live, the weak die.” Ruby said it without thinking. More and more she had come to accept this philosophy, but this was it’s first true test. Could she raid a village? Could she kill someone? She imagined that Weiss would have had a lot to say about this idea. She hadn’t seen Weiss since that day months ago. It was just as well. Weiss didn't accept that this was her true path, that she needed to train so she could beat Cinder.

“If they are strong they will fight us off. If they are not, they will die. If they are too weak to stay alive out here they should have stayed in one of the kingdoms.” Raven stepped close to Ruby, towering over the younger girl. “This is a command. If you wish to disobey, well...” Raven let the implication hang in the air. Ruby would have to challenge Raven. She knew she couldn’t beat her. Raven was far too strong, even after Ruby had trained so hard.

Ruby swallowed hard. She wanted to fight, to stop Cinder and whatever her plans were. She knew she would have to kill people to do that. So far, the only person she had killed had essentially been an accident. She didn't know what would happen when the situation came up again. “Alright,” she said quietly. Raven turned and walked off, apparently satisfied.

“It won’t be so bad Ruby,” Lily said. She had watched the whole thing without saying a word, which was pretty unusual for her. “This part is always really fun. We get to have a good fight, and then move on.”

“How often do you- we, I guess, do this?”

Lily thought about it for a moment. “A few times a year, maybe. It kinda depends. If they have enough stuff for us to survive for a while then it’s longer before we go after another. We’re not monsters, we don’t just raid villages for fun.”

Ruby wondered if the people living in the villages thought the same thing. She sighed, knowing she didn't really have a choice. She would just have to see what she could do to limit the damage. Although she’d known in the back of her mind that tribes like this raided villages, this was the first time she had come face to face with the reality of it. 

She needed Raven. She needed Lily, especially since she had the same powers as Cinder. They were the only ones that could help her stop Cinder once and for all; Ruby doubted she could walk up to one of the other maidens and convince them to let her fight them. Qrow had told her once, after she said she wanted to become a huntress, that sometimes huntresses had to do stuff they might not like in order to get the job done. 

She went back to her tent, grabbed her things and went to meet up with Raven and Lily at the edge of the encampment. The entire tribe was assembled and getting ready for a fight. Lily handed Ruby a mask. It was red and black, and it vaguely resembled the armor on a Grimm. “These look like the masks the White Fang wears.”

Raven made a noise filled with disgust. “They are somewhat similar,” she said, her voice hard. “It was apparently the only thing that Adam liked about the tribe. He certainly abandoned the rest of our ways when he left.” She put on her mask, one that was far more ornate than the rest, and said, “We’re moving.”

“We wear the masks to inspire fear,” Lily said. She wore one too. It gave her voice an odd, echoing quality. She did look terrifying. The flames that wreathed her eyes when she used her maiden power only made the Grimm mask scarier. She looked like a demon. Lily turned, and actually lifted up off the ground. She moved to where Raven stood and waited, floating menacingly.

Ruby put on her mask. Raven must have had it made special for her, as only one side had an eye hole. “Move!” Raven shouted, and the tribe charged. They erupted out of the forest onto the unsuspecting villagers. People ran as they saw them, trying to escape. A few pulled out weapons and fought back. They managed to hold their own, but there were simply too many opponents. Anyone that was unlucky enough to cross paths with Raven was cut down without mercy. Most didn't even seem to have aura.

A sword swung down at Ruby and she instinctively batted it aside. She spun Crescent Rose and went for the man’s leg, trying to knock him down. Ruby realized too late that he had no aura. Crescent Rose neatly severed the man’s leg, and he fell to the ground screaming. She pulled her scythe back, but it was already too late. She stood for a moment, paralyzed. Then a man in gray armor appeared in front of her and tried to bash her with the butt of his rifle.

She jumped back and saw him level the rifle at her and take a shot. She dodged it easily, and swung backward to hit him with the blunt end of Crescent Rose. He jumped over it and landed, his weapon transforming into a heavy looking mace. Ruby smiled. He was a huntsman, someone she could fight without having to hold back. 

Ruby lunged, sidestepping a strike. She moved past him, using her semblance for a brief burst of speed. She hooked him around the chest and spun, using her momentum to throw him toward a building. He crashed through the wall and landed with a thud. He slowly emerged from the building, only to have a huge fireball explode in his face. Lily waved as she rushed past Ruby, throwing fire gleefully.

The huntsman jumped out of the flames, singed but alive. He fired a few shots, then swung viciously at Ruby when he got close. The shots went wild and Ruby caught the blow on her scythe. She spun, hitting him several times. Finally, she saw a shimmer of light cover his body. He saw it too, but he stood his ground. His face grew hard and he drew his weapon up into a guard position. “It’s over!” Ruby shouted over the din of battle. He didn't surrender. He charged forward, swinging wildly. 

Ruby dodged backward, stunned at this man willingly attacking her with no aura to protect him. Gritting her teeth, she switched to rifle mode and fired a shot into his leg. He screamed in pain and fell, clutching his leg. Ruby stood for a moment, not sure what to do. “Finish him,” a hollow voice said behind her. She turned and saw Raven standing there, covered in blood.

“He can’t fight. We can leave him here.”

A chorus of howls split the air. The Grimm were coming. “You would leave him for them?” Raven asked. “He fought well. It is kinder to give him a quick death than to just leave him for the Grimm to devour. Finish him.” It wasn't a suggestion. Ruby looked back at the huntsman and saw him starting back at her, eyes filled with hate. Raven was right, she supposed. Swallowing hard, she took aim again and pulled the trigger. The huntsman jerked and then went limp.

“Good. The battle is nearly finished, grab what you can and we will leave.” Another noise broke through the cries of battle. It was the most horrible thing Ruby had ever heard. It sounded like a thousand people screaming at once, voices filled with terror and anguish. “Before that gets here.” Raven seemed more annoyed than scared at the idea with fighting a horde of Grimm and whatever had made that noise. Ruby nodded and Raven rushed off to join the battle again. 

She took a moment to survey the scene around her. Shion was burning. An airship had crashed into a building, both were covered with scorch marks. Lily was still flying about, throwing fire carelessly. There were bodies everywhere. For a moment Ruby couldn't believe she had helped with something like this. It was horrible.

Then the dark part of her mind spoke up. She had killed before, and had helped with destruction on an even greater scale at Beacon. What was one little village weighed against that? She needed Raven and Lily. Otherwise she wouldn't be able to stop Cinder. Shoving down her disgust, Ruby reminded herself that this was one of those unpleasant things you needed to do sometimes to accomplish your goals. Besides, the villagers had been too weak to fight them off. The strong lived and the weak died. She ran off into the burning village to help gather supplies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Being sick is a great way to spend your holiday weekend >.<


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing Watts is fun. Writing Cinder is fun. Writing Adam just made me feel sick.

Adam Taurus stood on a building across the street from 3rd Street Coffee. He had absolutely no idea why, he’d just received a note from that arrogant human, Watts. It had told him to be here at 8:30am. He sighed angrily, not knowing why he trusted Watts. The arrogant human still hadn't delivered entirely on his promises. Adam was growing restless. He wanted to grind this kingdom beneath his heel, to show that the faunus people shouldn't be underestimated. 

More importantly, his own plans were nearing completion. He had slowly replaced most of the senior White Fang members with people loyal to him. Sienna Khan, the fool who was far to willing to work with humans, would soon be deposed. The White Fang would be his, and he would be able to bring the humans to their knees. His revolution would spread, and its history would be written in blood.

Instead, he was staring at a local coffee shop. It was a faunus run shop, making it a decent place, but it was still unremarkable. He had been sitting here for half an hour, wasting time. He shook his head and got to his feet, preparing to leave, when he saw the door open. His hand tightened around Blush as he caught sight of her walking out of the shop. 

Blake Belladonna. The only woman he had ever loved. The woman that had forced him to hurt her, though he only did it because he cared. She was here, in Mistral. Did she know he was here? Had she come to apologize? 

His expression darkened when he saw the person walking with Blake. A tall blonde woman, walking far too close to Blake. Yang, if he remembered her name correctly. One of Blake’s teammates. She said something quietly and Blake smiled and turned a little red. The enormous blonde laughed loudly. Adam felt a surge of anger wash over him. Why did Blake do this to herself? He didn’t want to hurt her, but if she was involved with this _human_ he might have to.

For now he would watch. Maybe Blake was using the human, maybe she had regained her senses and come here to rejoin the White Fang and fight the good fight. Besides, though he wanted to leap down and slice the human to pieces, it would interfere with everything happening in Mistral. He was strong, stronger than most, but even he couldn't stand up to the combined might of the huntsmen Atlas had sent. They had been waiting for an opportunity to capture one of the White Fang’s high ranking members. He wouldn't give one to them by exposing himself.

Shoving his other plans to the side, he started to try and figure out how to rescue Blake from herself.

* * *

“Why do they make us grab coffee every morning?” Yang complained loudly as they walked back toward the hotel. Blake had an idea of why, but she had decided it was more interesting to see if Yang could figure it out on her own. “It’s been like two weeks since we got here, and we get sent out every day.”

“Oh?” she asked, deadpan. “I wasn't aware that spending time with me was such a chore.” Yang gave her a flat look, but Blake kept her expression steady. It was hard not to smile, but Blake managed it. Briefly. Blake had a hard time maintaining her stoic demeanor around Yang lately.

They walked together down the street, enjoying the cool morning air. Summer was in full swing, and the day promised to be a hot one. For now, the breeze was cool and the early morning light glinted off of shop windows. Blake was getting a little restless. They hadn't really done much since they’d arrived in Mistral. 

During their trek across the continent they’d heard rumors of Raven’s bandit tribe. They were usually spoken of in scared whispers. Few people had ever managed to survive their attacks or the Grimm that followed. Those that did all said the same thing. People wearing Grimm masks would appear out of nowhere and ransack the village. They would kill anyone they came across, not just those that defended themselves. Afterward they would vanish, leaving only the horde of Grimm drawn by the emotions of the slaughter.

The fact that they wore Grimm masks stood out to Blake. She had asked Qrow about it, since she knew he grew up with them. He had told her it was to inspire fear. He figured that someone in the White Fang heard about it and decided to adopt the tradition. Blake had always wondered where Adam had come up with the idea.

They had heard precious little news about Ruby. The people in Higanbana had recognized her, and had told stories of a battle in the streets. One man had said he found her on the edge of town, looking half starved and lost. He had been surprised to hear what happened to her, saying she seemed like a nice, if slightly odd, young woman.

Yang had been upset at hearing about Ruby. The excitement she had felt when she learned Ruby was alive was replaced by worry. Blake comforted her as best she could, but she was worried too. Blake had seen people like Ruby back in her White Fang days. Young, vulnerable and weak. She saw what happened to those people when the Fang got their hooks into them. The thought of something like that happening to Ruby made her shudder.

Blake shook her head, trying to clear her mind. “You okay?” Yang asked, concern in her lilac eyes.

“Just...distracted I suppose. I’m still worried.”

Yang nodded. “Me too. Hopefully Uncle Qrow has some information when he gets back.” Yang wrapped her free arm around Blake’s shoulder. “Until then, we’ll just have to help each other stay positive, right?” Blake nodded and leaned into Yang a little, smiling.  
She glanced up at the tops of nearby buildings, a habit she’d gained when living as a terrorist, and the smile was replaced by an icy jolt of fear. She stopped walking and blinked a few times, shaking her head. The rooftop was empty. Had she imagined it?  
“Blake?” Yang asked, snapping Blake back into reality. She had stopped too, and her expression was worried. “What’s wrong?”

She swallowed hard. This was going to sound insane. Qrow had mentioned the White Fang was doing something here, was that just causing her mind to run wild? “I-” she hesitated. She didn't want to add to Yang’s worries. But if he was here Yang deserved to know. “I think I saw Adam, on that rooftop over there.” She pointed at the empty roof. 

Yang’s eyes snapped up to where Blake pointed. “We have to tell my dad.” Yang’s whole body was tense, and it felt like the temperature had gone up a little. The morning as a whole seemed a little darker, almost like the color had been washed out of everything.

Fear gripped Blake’s heart. Fear at what would happen if Adam came after them. If he came after Yang. A horrible image popped into her mind, of Yang laying in a widening pool of blood. She couldn't let that happen. No matter what. “It… I was probably just imagining things. Your uncle said the White Fang was operating in the area and-”

“Blake I’ve never known you to jump at shadows,” Yang interrupted. Blake arched an eyebrow at that. “You know what I mean,” Yang said seriously. “We’re telling my dad. He’s a fully trained huntsman and a combat teacher, there’s no way some punk could beat him.” She looked at Blake, eyes red and intense. “I will NOT let him hurt you again.”

Blake was terrified. She knew that nothing would stop Yang from acting, not now. “Alright,” she said quietly. “Let’s go.” Blake had an idea of how to keep Yang out of this. She knew Yang would be angry with her for what she was planning, but it didn't matter. If she could deal with Adam she could keep Yang from getting hurt. That was worth any amount of anger.

Yang nodded and they quickly made their way back to the hotel. Blake felt a little ashamed that she couldn't stop thinking about how this had ruined their perfect morning.

* * *

The light of dawn cut right through the walls of Ruby’s tent and tore her from her dreams. The tent was wonderful at keeping things an appropriate temperature, but horrible for blocking out light. Because of that, Ruby found herself waking up at dawn every day.

She had been grateful for that lately, though. Ever since Shion her dreams had been bad. They were forgotten almost immediately on waking, but it made her carry a lot of negativity with her through the day. Today was no different. Ruby got out of bed and dressed. Sitting around moping because of her dreams would get her nowhere.

Things had seemed different since that day. Lily was less her friend and more the woman she had seen gleefully throwing fire at helpless villagers. Raven was a specter of death, her cold eyes making Ruby uncomfortable. The whole tribe seemed more sinister. Ruby swallowed and started toward the forest. She needed to clear her head.

She couldn't let fear make her forget that she needed these people, at least for now. Cinder was still out there, still working for Salem and plotting. She needed to be killed and Ruby needed to do it. Right now she was too weak to kill Cinder. Raven and Lily were the only ones she knew who would train her properly. Even if they would forgive her, which Ruby knew they wouldn't, her family would be no help. Dad would say it was too dangerous. Qrow would be too easy on her.

So she would put up with these people for now. She would learn how to fight, how to kill. She would become strong. She would stop Cinder and keep her from ruining anyone else’s life. 

The trees opened up into a small clearing that was dotted with small stones. It was nice, far enough away from the tribe for Ruby to get genuine silence but not so far that she would run into too many Grimm. The air was fresh, the smell of summer permeating the area. Ruby sat down and closed her eyes, trying to banish the lingering remnants of her dreams.

She sat like that for a while, until her senses told her she was being watched. She opened her eyes and moved just in time to avoid being struck by an arrow fired from the forest. She deployed Crescent Rose, readying herself for a fight. It was probably Raven again, here for another unannounced training session. 

Another arrow shot toward her but she batted it aside easily. “Who’s there?” she shouted. There was no reply, but five people walked out of the trees. She recognized them as members of the tribe. They were all brandishing weapons, clearly preparing to attack. There was no sign of Raven.

The one with the bow fired again, and Ruby caught it on Crescent Rose again. This proved to be a mistake as the arrow shattered in a violent explosion, throwing her backward. They had dust. Raven hadn't trained her often using dust, saying that it was too valuable. That didn't matter right now. Ruby got back up and got a clear look at the situation.

The woman with the bow could shift it into a staff, making her a threat at all ranges. Two of them had swords with dust-forged steel blades, but other than that they were normal weapons. One had a short spear that doubled as a shotgun, and one carried a pair of curved blades with chains attached to the pommel. These were some of the best fighters in the tribe if they had such weapons. The tribe didn't make weapons, only stole them. You didn't get a weapon unless you were strong enough to take it.  
Ruby charged and slipped into her semblance. She blew past the first four in a storm of rose petals and swung down viciously at the woman with the bow. The black-haired faunus caught it on her weapon but she was driven back slightly by the speed and ferocity of the attack. Seeing she was off balance, Ruby channeled a fraction of her semblance and pressed the attack. The woman was fast, but not fast enough. Ruby mercilessly struck at her, shattering her defense. Ruby fired, throwing a recoil-assisted kick into the faunus’ torso. The woman was thrown back into a tree, her aura shattered.

One opponent removed, Ruby turned to face the other four. Two of them, seeing what had happened to their ally, had fear in their eyes. Good. It would make them sloppy, make them easier to defeat. She lunged forward, jumping to duck under sword slashes aimed high and low. She passed between the blades and twisted, landing on the ground and firing. The shot slammed into the guy with the chain-hooks and propelled Crescent Rose in a graceful arc at one of the sword wielders. She hit his hands, throwing the blade away. She spun and hit him with the flat, dropping him as well.

These three were amateurs. Jaune probably could have held his own decently well. Ruby had no idea why Raven had sent them, so far they weren't a threat without her here to back them up. 

A hook caught on the haft of her scythe and tried to yank Crescent Rose from her. Instead of trying to resist someone obviously stronger, Ruby held on and jumped. Ruby was very light, and she was pulled right along with the scythe. She caught a look of surprise in the guy’s face right before she slammed into him. She regained her footing and raised her scythe high, preparing to take him out too, when an explosion slammed into her chest. Ruby crashed into a tree, the wind knocked out of her. She looked up to see the faunus with the bow drawing back to fire again. That wasn't right.

“What are you doing? We stop when auras go down!” Ruby shouted. The other five looked at each other and laughed. 

“This isn't a training session whelp,” one of them barked, voice full of gravel. “We’re sick of how the chieftain shows you special treatment.”

They were here to kill her. Ruby’s eyes narrowed. “Raven won’t be happy if I turn up dead.”

This made them laugh even harder. “You think she’ll really care? Don’t you remember that idiotic rule she’s always spouting? You’re too weak to stop us, so you don't deserve to live.” The faunus fired another arrow, and Ruby ducked out of the way. The center of the tree exploded into splinters, showering Ruby with debris. 

That was why Raven wasn't here. This was real. Ruby knew what she had to do next. The idea made her a little queasy, but she couldn't stop Cinder if she was dead. Ruby slipped fully into her semblance, bursting into rose petals. The archer seemed to expect this, and aimed in front of her. That might have worked, if Ruby was an idiot. 

She split herself in to three pieces, zipping around the clearing. She pulled herself together in midair, and slipped into her body. Taking aim, she fired at the archer. The bullet caught her in the center of her face, and with no aura to protect her, it passed right through. She fell to the ground in an explosion of blood. Ruby worked hard to focus on what came next, not what she had just done.

She went back into her semblance, counting on her aura levels to still be high enough. She zipped past one of the sword wielders, the one she had previously disarmed, and he too dropped in a shower of crimson. Two down, three to go. Ruby wished her scroll was charged so she could check her aura levels. She figured, best case scenario, that she was at half. Being hit by those explosions had to have taken out a decent chunk. Her semblance probably hadn't helped much either. 

She had to be smarter then. With aura she was sure she could win, but without it she was in too much danger. Chain-scythe was the next biggest threat. She was still useless at hand to hand combat. The remaining three were sticking together, however, which would make things harder. Then she spotted the tree. The hole was still smoldering, slowly consuming it. Ruby moved, her three opponents shifting to maximize their defenses. They had obviously learned from the first two that she was a bigger threat than they realized.

Moving in a circle, Ruby kept an eye on them. They constantly shifted to avoid showing their backs, keeping up with her sideways movements and – there. She spun Crescent Rose and fired. They moved out of the way quickly, but they weren't her target. The round hit the tree, a small burst of fire coming out of it. The tree fell and the bandits jumped to the side to avoid being crushed.

Ruby sprang at chain-scythe, wanting to deal with him while he was alone. He swung at her, but she dodged easily. His weapon was ineffective now, she was too close for him to throw but too far away for the short blades to be helpful. Her strikes were quick and precise, brutally chipping away at his aura. The other two unfortunately arrived though, and they flanked her. Ruby went on the defensive, using her momentum to deflect blows. This was dangerous. She couldn't keep them at bay forever. 

She fired downward, launching herself into the sky. The fire rounds were less useful for this, but they had the added bonus of catching the hem of chain-scythe’s shirt on fire. That meant his aura was down. She spun and fired again, shooting back toward the ground. She swung as she passed chain-scythe, neatly removing his head.

She turned and stood, Crescent Rose dripping crimson onto the forest floor. One of the remaining two, the woman with the sword, started to back away. “Screw this, I’m out of here.”

“You coward!” the other shouted at the running girl. She leveled her spear at Ruby, the tip shaking slightly. Her expression was filled with hate but her eyes betrayed her fear.

“Leave,” Ruby said coldly, “and I’ll allow you to live.” Her heart was pounding and she was covered in sweat. She wasn't sure how much aura she had left and needed to get this battle over with. 

Surprise flickered across the woman’s expression, and she started to reply when a red blade burst from her chest. “What did I tell you about obstacles?” Raven said coldly as she pulled the sword out. The woman’s body slumped lifelessly to the ground. Raven looked around, expression neutral. Ruby expected her to be angry. Instead, “You did well,” was all she said. She flicked the blood off her blade and sheathed it.

“You aren't mad?” Ruby asked, surprised. It may have been in self defense, but the tribe was now weaker as a whole.

Raven arched an eyebrow. “Of course not. These fools challenged you and you dealt with them appropriately. Frankly I would have been disappointed if they’d killed you. This tells me that your training is going well.”

Ruby looked around at the clearing. Once beautiful, it had been torn up by the fight. The still burning tree lay in the middle, stained with blood. The scent of death hung heavily in the air, mingled with the smell of charred wood. Ruby felt a little sick at what had just happened. Four people were now dead, three by her own hand. She was willing to bet that the fifth member wouldn't survive long either. Ruby wouldn't hunt her down, but Raven and Lily were merciless in the face of weakness.  
Raven moved between the bodies, gathering up their weapons. She beckoned Ruby and they both walked off without another word. Ruby had to keep reminding herself that it was okay, that she had to do it. A part of her thought that she needed to get more comfortable with seeing death.

She had a feeling there would be a lot more before this was all over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had initially intended on the Adam section to be longer, but I just couldn't keep going. I decided to keep what was there because it was already written, but didn't really want to do any more.


	10. Chapter 10

Blake lay in the darkened hotel room, waiting. They had gone to bed a while ago, and Blake figured she would be able to go any time now. The room was cold, the same as any room Yang slept in. The girl was basically a space heater, so it made sense. Blake had gotten used to the cold, but lately she wondered what it would be like to sleep closer to Yang, if only for the warmth.

She banished that thought from her mind. She had a job to do. She lay still for a few more minutes, until the soft sound of Yang’s snores came from the other bed. Yang was completely asleep. She tended to sleep like the dead, so Blake knew she wouldn't need to worry about waking her up. Blake got out of bed, quiet just to ensure she didn't disturb Yang, and got dressed. Earlier she’d convinced Yang that they needed to buy some new clothes, giving Blake the opportunity to quietly buy a new outfit. Form fitting and dark blue, it was the perfect thing to sneak around in. She had considered her normal clothes, but a white coat wasn't exactly great for stealth.

She slipped out of the hotel room and went to the nearest emergency exit. Disconnecting it with practiced movements, she went outside. The cool night air rustled in the trees, a stark contrast to the heat of the day. The night was quiet, as was usual in this part of Mistral. The streets were empty, lit only by the glow of the streetlights and the glint of the moon off nearby windows. Blake kept to the shadows, thankful that even after a few years she still knew where to hide in this city.

She climbed to the top of a nearby building and watched. No movement. Either nobody had spotted her or they were just watching. That didn't really matter though, Blake knew how to shake a tail. Blake began to leap from building to building, quickly moving through the city. It baffled her how easily this made sneaking around. Nobody ever looked up. She honestly doubted she would be noticed unless she was actively fighting. 

She took a roundabout path through Mistral, making her way closer and closer to the more industrial part of town. The White Fang had a thing for hiding in warehouses, so she figured she could find them there. Unsurprisingly, she was right. One warehouse in particular stood out. They were hidden well enough, but she was able to spot four sentries guarding it. They were dumb enough to be wearing Grimm masks, immediately telling her and anyone else that saw them, who they were.

Blake found a good hiding spot and watched. Two hours later, she’d nailed down the guard’s routine. They checked in every 20 minutes and took the same slow route around the building. The timing would be difficult, but she could sneak by them and get in. She wondered if Adam was inside, and the thought sent a spike of fear through her. She had come here to gather information, but would she do something if he was here tonight?

She knew what she would have to do. As much as the thought sickened her, she knew it was the only thing that would stop him. He was a monster to be sure, but Blake had never liked handling her problems that way. She would do it though, if it meant keeping her friends safe. She’d rather die than let Yang come to harm.

Slowly, Blake moved into position. When her opening came she leapt at the other building, using a clone to help her cross the gap. She landed with a soft thud on a catwalk, hand on Gambol Shroud just in case. Hearing no alarm, Blake moved toward the nearest door and slipped inside. The inside of the warehouse was pitch black, which wasn't unusual. Most faunus could see in the dark, so they had no issues operating in places like this. Warehouses were a lot less suspicious if they didn't have lights blazing at all hours of the night.

The night vision was a problem though. The faunus in the building had a much better chance of seeing her if she wasn't careful. Things would be a little easier if she had a mask, but even that would only stop cursory questions. She would just have to be extra careful.

Looking around the warehouse, she noticed a lot of nondescript crates. White Fang members were milling about, some looking through the crates and taking notes. They were likely full of weapons. Qrow had told them that the Fang was stockpiling them. If this was where they were storing them, they had a terrifying amount. Luckily there weren't any crates that looked big enough to have Paladins in them.

The lights were on in the office, and there were two people standing over a table talking. The door was guarded by someone that looked far more alert than the guards outside. Something unusual had to be taking place. Blake made her way there, careful to move like she belonged. When she got closer to the lit office she froze in place, forcing herself not to run away.

He was in there. Adam Taurus stood over the table, conversing with a tall faunus. He wore his mask, as he always did. Adam almost never took it off, except when the two of them were alone. That thought made her shudder. She didn't like thinking about her time with him. It just reminded her of how much of an idiot she was.

Blake forced herself to continue moving. Standing around gaping was a quick way to get noticed as out of place. She didn't think she could take him if he had this much backup. Blake was getting closer to the office now, and she was reaching the point where the guard would start to pay more attention to her. She paused and ducked down as the office door opened.

“Ilia,” came Adam’s voice. Blake’s eyes widened at the name. “I need you to meet with our contact. He has information on where we are going to get our next supply drop.” Blake peeked out from her hiding spot and saw Ilia leave. She hadn't expected to see Ilia here. Blake had hoped that the other girl had abandoned the Fang too. Ilia had always fought hard for the cause but she had been less extreme than Adam. Blake sincerely hoped she didn't have to fight her old friend.

Ilia’s sudden assignment was a stroke of luck though. Adam had gone back into the office and was focused on the table again. It was the perfect opportunity to gain information, even if she couldn't fight him here. Blake moved nearer to the window and crouched out of sight. She cautiously pressed one ear against the bottom of the window.

“- in two days,” Adam was saying. “Everything is in place for us to make our move then.”

“Finally,” rumbled the other man, “I was growing tired of hiding in this town. Once we take out the school Mistral will have nothing to stand against us with.” Blake heard some rustling noises, like papers being gathered. She didn't dare look in the room, her face would be far too visible against the darkness. 

“The faunus will finally show the worthless humans what we’re capable of.” Although she couldn't see him, Blake could imagine what Adam was doing. He was always so dramatic, brooding over maps and other information. He was at his most melodramatic when talking about humans. “Spread the word. We will meet at the Menagerie embassy in two days. From there we will spread our revolution and burn the human’s world to the ground.”

Blake heard footsteps heading toward the door, and quickly hid herself as best she could. The lieutenant, Blake really wished she knew what to call him other than Yang’s silly nickname ‘Banesaw’, walked past her and went down the stairs, followed closely by Adam. Blake’s jaw got tight. It didn't look like she would have an opportunity to get him alone tonight. At least she got some information. Her eyes lingering on Adam, Blake left the warehouse. 

She made it back to the hotel with no trouble. It had taken her a while to get back, if for no other reason than she was paranoid about someone following her. Once she was convinced she had lost any possible tail she finally went back. She got inside and reconnected the emergency exit’s alarm, making her way back upstairs. She had only been gone for a few hours, and she knew Yang slept like a log. Nobody would know that Blake had snuck out.

Except, of course, for the owner of the voice that suddenly spoke behind her. “Going out for a late night walk, eh? You might want to dress in brighter colors next time, it’ll make it easier to see you.” Blake spun around quickly, coming face to face with Yang’s dad. He didn't look or sound angry, but Blake blushed none the less at being caught. “C’mon,” he said, waving for Blake to follow, “we don't want to wake her up.”

A few minutes later Blake found herself sitting at a table in the hotel lobby, sipping a cup of tea. The horizon was starting to get a tinge of blue, making her realize she’d been gone longer than she thought. Taiyang sat across from her, a steaming mug of coffee in hand. He hadn't said anything, and Blake hadn't offered any conversation. She was still trying to figure out if she was in trouble.

“So,” he finally said, shattering the fragile silence, “did you find him?”

Blake carefully kept her expression neutral. “What do you mean?”

Taiyang barked out a short laugh. “I’ve raised two daughters, do you really think that I’ll fall for the whole ‘feigned ignorance’ thing?” He smiled at Blake. “You don’t look nearly as innocent as Yang does when she tries that.” 

Blake frowned. It was obvious that he knew what was up. “I did,” she said. She didn't offer any more details. This was her fight after all.

“Well, clearly you didn't try and fight him, so at least you’re that smart.”

“What?”

“I may not have been in the best state but I do remember that night, after the battle. Vividly. Yang threatened to beat up the nurse that tried to get her to leave your room. Considering we’re having this conversation without any blood I’m guessing you didn't fight him.”

Blake eyed Taiyang, revising her opinion of him. Since he’d sobered up and patched up his relationship with Yang, Blake had noticed that he was a pretty observant father who obviously loved his children. “How did you catch me?”

“Random chance honestly. I happened to be looking out my window and saw you sneaking off into the night. I thought about following but kinda assumed you’d be long gone by the time I got downstairs. It didn't take much for me to figure out what you were doing. You seemed pretty shaken up when you and Yang got back.” His blue eyes locked with hers, and there was a lot of concern in them. “I know you think you have to do this by yourself, and honestly I understand that feeling. Just...don’t do anything you’ll end up regretting. I know Yang cares about you, probably more than you think. If you’re not going to stay safe for yourself, do it for her.”

Blake looked away, feeling guilty. She fully intended on going out to in two days to see what was going on at the embassy. “I-” She hesitated. She didn't want to lie to him, not entirely. “I won’t try to fight him alone.”

Taiyang smiled, but it looked a little sad. “Well that’s good at least.” He sighed. “You should probably get back to bed. You’ve only got a few hours before Yang wakes up.” Blake nodded and got up from the table, thanking him for the tea as she left. She would keep her promise to Taiyang. Mostly. She had no plans of actually fighting Adam.

She was going to kill him.

Blake went upstairs and changed back into her pajamas, getting under the covers. She quickly fell back asleep, tired from the night's activities. Unbeknownst to her, a pair of grey eyes were watching her from across the street.

* * *

A cool morning breeze rustled the trees as Ruby followed Lily. Another day, another training session. They had to put a lot of distance between them and the camp before they trained in earnest. Lily was far too destructive otherwise. 

It had been a few days, and yet another portal-assisted move, since Ruby’s fight in the forest. Ruby had withdrawn a little since then. It wasn't that she was concerned with what anyone in the tribe thought about what happened, it was more that she didn't want to make any more enemies. She had enough of those already. She also wanted to avoid getting close to any of these people. She was here to learn to fight Cinder, once that was done she would leave.

Ruby was still angry at herself for letting Cinder trick her so easily. Her mother’s death had always been a sore spot for her, but it was foolish to let someone use that to manipulate her. She had talked with Raven once about it, and in a surprising display of compassion the older woman had told Ruby what happened when Summer died. She had even shown Ruby Summer’s real grave. Raven was silent when Ruby asked why she hadn't brought Taiyang here.

“Here we are!” Lily said brightly, pulling Ruby from her thoughts. Lily had lead them to an unusual clearing. It looked as though someone had strategically burned the area to the ground. A few scorched trees remained, here and there, but otherwise the area had been blasted to the dirt. The smell of smoke still lingered in the area.

“Did you clear this out?”

“Yep!” Lily said, beaming. “I thought we could use an area with a few obstacles. You know, stuff for you to hide from me with.” She flashed Ruby a wry smile. Ruby was doubtful that the trees would be much of a help. She had seen Lily blast right through them before. Granted, that always seemed to take more concentration but Ruby doubted it would make it much harder for Lily to break her aura.

Thinking about aura reminded Ruby of something. “Hey Lily, do your powers work without aura? Mine do, and I figure I should be prepared in case Cinder’s are similar.”

“They do. It’s been a long time since I lost my aura, but Raven broke it once so we could test my powers without it a long time ago.” A thoughtful expression came across her face. “That’s a good point about Cinder though.” She broke into a wide smile. “Maybe I should let you take mine out just so you get used to it.”

Ruby rolled her eyes. “Yeah, that’d be a smart way to train. ‘Sorry Raven, we were training without aura on purpose and I accidentally killed Lily’.” Something told Ruby that Raven would actually be upset at the loss of Lily. Ruby had no idea how the maiden’s power was passed on, but she doubted that Lily could just give it to someone else in the tribe.

Lily walked into the middle of the clearing, readying herself to fight. As Lily turned to face her, a thought occurred to Ruby. She smiled and grabbed Crescent Rose. “Are you – woah!” Lily managed to block the sudden strike just in time, but she had to use her hands. Ruby’s smile grew wider as Lily’s aura flashed at the sudden impact. Lily jumped backward, smiling. “Good attack! Never let your opponent see you coming, if you can avoid it.” She spun and threw a bolt of lightning that nearly took Ruby’s head off. “Unfortunately I’ve fought you enough to know your moves pretty well.”

Ruby landed in a crouch, trying to think of another way to get past Lily’s guard. She switched out to the special magazine she’d prepared today and opened fire. Lily casually blocked the first three shots with that weird invisible wall thing, giving Ruby a questioning look. Ruby smiled and fired again. Lily blocked this one too, but Ruby had prepared for that. That particular round had contained a special mixture of fire and earth dust. A huge plume of smoke exploded out from Lily’s hand, temporarily blinding the girl.

Instinctively Lily turned to attack behind her, but Ruby came up through the smoke cloud and smashed Crescent Rose into Lily. “A little too well, maybe?” Ruby said, laughing. She swung again, and Lily caught the blade. Her aura was flaring, but she had a solid hold of the scythe. She smiled, and Ruby suddenly found herself flung backward by a gout of flame, losing Crescent Rose in the process. Lily spun it a few times, and a flash of anger came over Ruby at seeing someone else use her weapon.

“You’re doing pretty well today. I don’t think you’ve ever gotten my aura this low so quickly.” A wicked smile grew on her face, “I wonder if you’ll be able to keep it up, without a weapon?” With that, she flung Crescent Rose into the forest as hard as she could. Ruby laughed and slipped into her semblance. She split, dodging the column of flame and flew right past Lily in a flash of red. She grabbed her weapon in mid-air, and zipped back toward the battlefield.

On her way back she flew right past Lily, striking out as she did. The blade caught her around the midsection and flung her a few feet. This was all strangely easy. “Are you letting me hit you?” Ruby asked, annoyed. How was she supposed to get any better if Lily just let her win?

“Just once,” Lily said, sounding embarrassed. “I wanted you to be able to get used to the fact that a maiden can still fight with no aura. Then you hit me with that smoke thing, and I started to get more serious. You’re also a lot better than you used to be. I don't think you realize just how fast you really are.”

Ruby rubbed her forehead. “Still though, it’s -” Lily shushed Ruby and raised a hand, telling her to be quiet. A serious expression was etched into her face, something Ruby hadn't ever seen before. “Lily?” Ruby asked. She started to go on, but was interrupted by a man in a brown coat launching himself out of the forest. He slammed into Lily, hitting her twice before she could react. She growled and held out her hand, shooting a column of fire that left a gouge in the dirt.

The man effortlessly dodged, laughing as he did. Ruby tried attacking him, but soon found herself on the defensive. He was relentless, and more importantly he was fast. So fast that Ruby could barely keep up without needing to use her semblance. He kicked her in the stomach and she flew backward, landing with a thud. Another column of flame struck the ground where he had been standing, and Lily stood there looking angry. “Who are you?” she demanded.

“Why, my name is Tyrian,” he said, as though they should have known that already. “I have come to retrieve you for her grace.”

“Retrieve me?” Lily said, incredulous. “I don't think that will be as easy as you hope. Between me and Ruby you’ll have a hard time.”

Tyrian turned to look at Ruby with a curious expression. “Ruby?” he said, looking her over. He began to laugh. “Oh but Cinder would love to know you’re alive.”

Ruby’s eyes narrowed at the mention of Cinder. Dots connected in her head. “You work for Salem, don’t you?”

Tyrian laughed again. “My my, the little rose is well informed. Indeed I do, and her grace wishes to meet with the young maiden here. Stay out of the way and I’ll kill you quickly.” He smiled evilly and his voice got lower. “It will be much kinder than what Cinder would do to you. I’ve heard her plans for you sister, and they’re not very pleasant.” A flash of anger passed over Ruby’s face at his mention of Yang, and she launched herself at him. She tapped into her semblance to lend her speed, but it barely seemed to matter. He wasn't able to strike her, but she couldn't get past his defenses. 

Ice suddenly sprung up around his feet, trapping him. Ruby saw an opportunity to strike, and pulled Crescent Rose back so she could deliver a powerful strike. This proved to be a mistake though, as he suddenly started to shoot at her. As close as she was, Ruby wasn't truly able to dodge the shots. Several bullets pinged off her aura, small pinpricks of pain behind them. Ruby tried to deflect them but Crescent Rose wasn't designed for combat in such close quarters. She pulled back before the bullets could break her aura.

As Ruby fled, Lily entered the battle. The bullets were deflected without her even having to move her hands. Tyrian managed to free himself just in time to get caught in a huge cone of flame. He growled and leapt toward Lily, his coat burning a little around the edges. He stayed in close, and Lily’s lack of a proper weapon began to work against her. She tried to block his strikes with her hands, but each hit depleted her aura more and more. 

Ruby fired at Tyrian, hoping to distract him. Laughing, he deflected her shots by using the scorpion tail he unwrapped from around his waist. Ruby’s gambit succeeded however, and Lily was able to blast him in the face with fire. Tyrian didn't dodge or jump out of the way. Instead, as the fire caused his aura to flare a bright purple, he spun and kicked Lily hard in the side of the head.

Lily cried out in pain as she got hit. Already stressed from her battle with Ruby, Lily’s aura broke in a flash of green light. “Lily!” Ruby screamed, charging in. For her trouble, Ruby got another kick to the stomach, and this time it shattered her aura too. Tyrian smiled as he raised his tail and struck. Lily managed to dodge out of the way, and his tail just barely grazed her. Lily’s arm snapped out and grabbed it before he could pull back all the way.

“It’s going to take more than that to stop me,” she said. Her voice was low and dangerous, far different from the cheerful tone she usually used. Her hand started to glow and Tyrian screamed. His blade came down on her arm and cut a deep gash. Lily gasped in pain and withdrew her arm. Tyrian’s tail lashed out three more times, Lily crying out at each one. She suddenly exploded, throwing Tyrian back and Ruby to the ground. She stood slowly, breath coming in ragged gasps. “I’m going to burn you to ash!” she screamed, voice filled with fury, and a white-hot column of flame shot out of her outstretched hand.

Tyrian barely dodged out of the way, but Ruby could see his aura flashing from the intense heat. Lily dropped to one knee, panting. Lily’s face was contorted in pain, and Ruby saw some of the sting wounds had begun to ooze a sickly purple. Tyrian began to walk toward her, smiling. He suddenly jumped backward as a crescent shaped wave of fire came flying out of the forest. Ruby turned and saw Raven standing there, sword drawn. Hope flooded Ruby’s chest as she saw the older woman emerge from the woods.  
That hope was quickly extinguished as Ruby saw Raven freeze mid step, her eyes losing focus. “Raven! What are you doing?” Ruby shouted.

Tyrian just laughed again. “The eyes never open when you want them to, do they?” He walked toward Lily and stung her again. Lily let out a strangled cry, trying to stand. Tyrian walked toward Ruby, eyes alight with glee. “And now, little rose, your part has ended.” Lily let out a weak cry behind him, on her feet again. She held out one hand and a feeble flame spouted from it. Tyrian laughed and turned back to Ruby, his tail raised. 

Behind him, Ruby watched Lily struggle to walk toward them. Her hand was still held out, and her face was a mask of pain and fury. A flame began to gather on her palm, slowly burning brighter. Then she let out a pained cry as a red blade burst from her chest. Raven stood behind Lily, sword through the young girl’s heart. Ruby’s eyes went wide and she yelled, “Lily! No!”

Tyrian turned and saw what had happened, letting out a cry of intense rage. Raven stood and sheathed her sword, getting into a combat stance. Tyrian faced her, body tensed to charge, when a cloud of golden light erupted from Lily’s body. It shot toward Ruby, whose eyes had gone wide. As the cloud approached her, she felt a sudden burst of power from within. Her eyes flared silver, and she felt the familiar surge of relief. The golden cloud rebounded as if it had hit a wall. It floated there for a moment and then shot up into the sky where it dispersed. 

“You’ve lost,” Raven said quietly, “and after fighting these two your aura must be dangerously low.” She started to move toward Tyrian. “Will your mistress tolerate such failure?” Tyrian growled and charged at Raven. She drew as he got close, her blade smashing into him and shattering his aura. He struck out with his tail but Raven stepped to the side and swung down, severing it. Tyrian fell to his knees, screaming. Raven walked up to him, looking down at him with disdain. “Weak,” she said, and she stabbed downward. The blade pierced Tyrian’s throat, and his body jerked. Raven removed the blade and flicked away the blood.

Ruby looked at her, at a complete loss. “Why...” she said faintly.

Raven looked back at Lily’s body, a look of sorrow briefly showing on her face. “The poison he gave her was a paralytic. If I had fought him then, he would have killed you and taken her. More accurately, he would have used you as a shield and I would have killed you. I wasn't going to let that happen.” A wistful look passed over her face, and she glanced back at Lily. “She would have ended up joining them, out of a lust for violence. I saw it.”

“You saw it?” Ruby shouted. “What, was this another one of your ‘visions’?”

“You saw it happen to me. Why else do you think that I would suddenly stop in the middle of a fight?” Raven spat back, sounding annoyed. 

“You killed him easily!” Ruby shouted. “How could he have possibly beaten you?”

“He was distracted. He was angry. Had I fought him otherwise, the result may have been different.”

“You killed Lily…just like that.” Ruby stared up at Raven. “Are people so worthless to you? Do you even care about _anyone?_ ” Raven stared at her for a moment. She began to reply, when the sound of several bullheads split the sky. They were flying in formation, headed straight for their camp.

“No,” Raven said, looking up at them. She sounded defeated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are getting real, folks.
> 
> By the way, I wanted to thank everyone for the comments and kudos. I mostly write this for fun, but it's nice to know that people are enjoying it.


	11. Chapter 11

Ruby followed Raven as she dashed through the forest, cursing softly. The distant sounds of gunfire echoed through the trees, punctuated by the occasional cry of pain. “What’s going on?” Ruby shouted.

“Something I’ve been trying to prevent for months now,” Raven growled. Ruby had hardly ever heard such emotion in Raven’s voice. She usually either sounded commanding or smug. Now, her voice bordered on pure rage. “Do not hold back when we arrive. They will not, as they are here to kill us all.” Ruby caught a brief glimpse of red eyes. “Kill them first.”

As they edged closer to the treeline, Raven’s hand fell to the hilt of her sword. The mechanism spun and Ruby heard a blade lock into place. Following Raven’s lead, Ruby drew Crescent Rose. She and Raven needed to have a talk, but now hardly seemed like a good time.

The two of them burst from the trees into a battlefield. Raven struck immediately, cutting down a soldier in Atlesian armor. The man fell with a cry, his blood standing out starkly against the purple-black blade Raven had drawn. She held the blade out to her side and another soldier fell toward it, impaling himself on the blade. Ruby had never seen gravity dust used like that. It was terrifying.

Ruby hardly had time to watch Raven fight because three Atlas soldiers opened fire on her. Ruby dodged the bullets easily and fired back, hitting their weapons and destroying them. Amateurs, she thought. They tried to close to melee range, but she easily outran them and quickly moved around the edge of the battlefield in order to try and see what was happening. On the way she managed to disarm or disable a few more soldiers, but there were so many of them. The disarmed ones grabbed another weapon, and the wounded ones were simply replaced. Ruby wasn't really accomplishing anything.

Atlas was here in force. They easily outnumbered the tribe with soldiers alone, and that wasn't counting the several huntsmen she saw moving about. The battle was brutal. The Atlesian troops were pushing forward, killing any of the tribe members they came in contact with. She heard shouts nearby and saw a soldier pointing at her, and a small group of them ran in her direction.

Ruby knew what she had to do. The tribe was hardly innocent, but they definitely didn't deserve to be killed out of hand like this. She would have to do her part in repelling the invasion, and disarming the soldiers simply wouldn't work. A small part of her was sickened at the thought of killing these people, but she reminded herself that they would do the same to her, given the chance. Ruby slammed the blade of Crescent Rose into the ground, resolute.

Her first shot took one of the soldiers in the small opening on his helmet. He dropped in a spray of crimson. The others seemed to wise up after that, moving erratically and trying to cover their faces. Her next few shots pinged off of armor, gouging out chunks but leaving the soldiers relatively unharmed. They reached the top of the hill and moved to surround her, but she wasn't going to let that happen. Pulling her scythe out of the ground, Ruby moved.

She went forward, moving faster than the soldiers could react. One of them screamed, falling to the ground bleeding. Ruby spun just in time to deflect one of the other soldier’s strikes. She ignored the blood that splashed on her as she batted aside the small sword. These people were here to kill her, she reminded herself firmly. She couldn't let that happen. She still had too much to do.

Ruby spun and weaved, dodging and striking when she needed too. The armor these soldiers wore didn't fully make up for their lack of aura. One by one they fell, and as each of them did Ruby had to force her conscience down. The last one fell to Crescent Rose, and Ruby stood there looking like the grim specter of death. She started to move back to the main area of the battle when something strange attacked her.

A Beowolf leapt out of nowhere and charged at her. Ruby was frozen briefly, trying to comprehend what she was seeing. The monster didn't look like any Grimm she had seen before. Instead of the blazing red eyes and impenetrable black skin of a normal Beowolf, this one was pure white with icy blue eyes. As it drew close it launched itself at her, the familiar roar snapping Ruby back into reality. She swung at it almost reflexively, and Crescent Rose took off its head.

Instead of melting into shadows like usual, it simply disintegrated into shards of white light. Ruby barely had time to be confused by this as two more of the strange Beowolves bounded toward her. A sudden storm whipped up around her, making it hard to see and dropping the temperature sharply. The Beowolves attacked her, but Ruby killed them easily. Again, they shattered into motes of light.

Ruby stood, taking up a defensive posture, as she saw the faint outlines of more Beowolves in the storm, blue eyes menacing. There were so many. She had no idea what was going on with these strange Grimm, but it didn't matter. They fell like any other.  
The Grimm leapt at her and she spun, taking them down. A few managed to hit her, but that was unsurprising because of how many there were. They came at her, four or five at a time, and there didn't seem to be an end in sight. Using her semblance made fighting them trivial. She was thankful that they were only Beowolves, anything else coming at her in these numbers would be trouble.

The thought had barely left her mind when she heard something that made her blood run cold. As she cut the head off of two more Beowolves the bone rattling roar of an Ursa Major shook the ground. She turned and saw five of them lumbering at her through the strange storm. Fear gripped her heart. What was going on? What were these strange Grimm, and how did they get here in such numbers?

Ruby steeled herself and pushed the questions away. There would be time for that later. Right now she had to survive. The Ursa proved much more difficult. It seemed like every single one she killed was replaced almost immediately. Beowolves still came at her on occasion, proving to be a dangerous nuisance. Cutting down yet another Ursa, Ruby decided it was time to bring out the big guns. Ruby reached into herself, into the depths of her soul where her power lay. She felt it there, waiting. Ruby touched it, and let the power flow out of her. 

A blinding flash of silver light exploded outward as Ruby felt the energy course through her body. Her fatigue was washed away, replaced by a sense of speed and strength. She smiled eager to see the looks of terror on the faces of these strange Grimm. Ruby turned to face them, ready to slaughter the frightened monsters, when the bottom dropped out of her stomach.

The white Grimm were unfazed. They still charged at her, heedless of the power that they should be fleeing from. She barely managed to duck out of the way as an Ursa lashed out with a strike that would have removed her head if she’d been any slower. The brief moment of fear she’d felt before turned into full blown terror. The Grimm were endless. They weren't afraid of her like the should be. She was going to die.

“No,” she said quietly. “No!” she screamed in defiance. Cinder was still alive. Ruby couldn't die here, not before she had stopped Cinder. Ruby slipped further into her semblance than she ever had before. She turned into a comet of silver light, leaving a chaotic trail of silver rose petals behind her. She barreled into the storm, dodging and separating when she needed to in order to avoid the strange Grimm.

When she hit the wall of wind it was like flying straight into a blizzard. Even as a cloud of rose petals she could feel the cold seeping into her. The wind buffeted her but she pushed forward, until she suddenly burst back into open air. She fell back into her body, stumbling as she hit the ground. She let the silver light fade away. The sunlight felt warm on her face as the sounds of battle came smashing back into her ears. She turned around and saw a large dome of swirling wind behind her, where she had been trapped moments before. Kneeling nearby was a woman, the point of her sword driven into the ground.

Ruby recognized her immediately. The pale white hair and the massive glowing glyph was a dead giveaway. Winter Schnee, Weiss’ older sister, was the one who had been trying to kill her. She was the one that had brought these Grimm. Weiss had said that their semblance could summon things. On some level Ruby was impressed by the power Winter had shown. Was that what Weiss would have become if – Ruby cut herself off before she could go down that path again. Now wasn't the time.

Winter stood and the glyph disappeared. She turned to face Ruby, her face filled with raw hatred. “You are better than I thought,” she seethed. A smile spread across her face, but there was no joy in it. It was the same smile Ruby had seen on Cinder’s face when she tried to kill her. The same one that Lily showed when she was fighting. It was a smile that promised death. Winter raised her sword into a guard position, staring down at Ruby. “It doesn't matter. Honestly, it will be better this way. I will bring you to justice myself!” With that a glyph sprung up behind her and Winter shot forward.

Ruby barely managed to get out of the way in time. She had not expected Winter to be so fast. It had to be the glyph. Winter spun deftly and came back at Ruby, quickly stepping inside her guard. Ruby tried to strike out, but her scythe wasn't that great at such close range. Ruby tapped into her semblance slightly, aware that her aura probably wasn't in the best shape. Between fighting that crazy faunus and all of those Grimm, it had to be nearly broken. Her power restored some of her aura, but not all of it.  
She had no choice however, since fighting without her semblance would leave her open to Winter’s attacks. She dodged and parried easily, but Winter pressed forward and prevented Ruby from gaining enough space to attack. Grimacing, Ruby used a bit more of her semblance, and finally managed to put some distance between them. She spun to attack but found herself pulled backward, hard. She fell, passing through a large black glyph as she did.

Ruby slipped once more into her semblance, bursting in to rose petals just in time to avoid a furious stab from Winter. Ruby flew backward, intending on putting enough distance that she could use her rifle. Her plan failed, however, as Ruby felt her aura shatter. She was thrust back into her body and hit the ground, skidding to a stop. Ruby sat up, covered in sweat and dirt. This was it. She couldn't fight any longer.

Winter stalked toward her, sword held menacingly. The din of the battle seemed to fade, the cries of the tribesmen falling into the background. “This is your end, Rose,” Winter said as she got near Ruby. “You will pay for what you did to my sister.” Ruby could hear the hate in her voice. On some level, Ruby knew she deserved this. But she was still angry. Angry that she was going to die without being able to kill Cinder first.

In a last, desperate move Ruby opened herself up to her power again. Silver light blazed outward, and Ruby lunged at Winter. Winter threw her aside with another glyph, slamming Ruby into a tree. The wind was knocked out of her lungs, and Ruby’s grasp on her power faltered. The silver light flickered and faded away. It didn't matter anyhow. Ruby knew that her eyes didn't affect people.

Winter stood above her again, pitiless. She raised her sword and said, “It is time to face justice.” Ruby closed her eyes as Winter’s sword came down.

Instead of death, however, Ruby only heard the clash of two swords meeting. She opened her eyes and saw a huge blade in front of her, the side of it painted with black symbols. “You have a funny idea of justice,” she heard a gravelly voice say. Her eyes went wide as she caught sight of Qrow standing next to her, blade locked with Winter’s.

“Qrow,” Winter said, voice tense with anger, “why am I not surprised to find you here, defending this criminal.”

Qrow moved, forcing Winter back and placing himself firmly between her and Ruby. “I’ve gotta say, I’m pretty surprised to find _you_ here, about to execute my niece, after all that crap you spouted about a trial. Or is there a courtroom somewhere in this slaughter?”

“She is guilty and you know it! These people all are. They murdered countless innocents. But of course you side with them. They’re family after all.” Winter sneered at Qrow, obviously trying to get a rise out of him.

Instead, he barked out a laugh. “You think I don't know what these people do? Hell, they probably do deserve it. I left for a reason.” He turned and quickly looked Ruby over. From his expression he didn't like what he saw. “I’m only here to make sure my niece doesn't fall victim to Atlas’ idea of ‘justice’.”

“Get out of the way Qrow,” Winter said threateningly, “or I will make you.” She held her sword up, a glyph appearing in the air behind her. Ruby moved backward, trying to hide behind a tree.

Qrow laughed again. “Kid, I’ve got 20 years on you. You think that little brawl at Beacon was me taking things seriously? You haven't ever seen me fight for real.” Winter growled and pulled a second, smaller sword from within her main one. Qrow sighed. “Ruby,” he said without looking, “get to a safe distance. I’m gonna have to do this the hard way.”

Winter launched herself forward, closing the distance in an instant. Qrow blocked her strikes effortlessly, barely even moving his feet. Winter attacked furiously, and Ruby turned and ran. She didn't want to get caught up in a fight between them. 

After a minute or so she turned and looked back. Qrow and Winter were fighting, Winter trying to get past him and Qrow giving no ground. He was clearly fighting to stop her, not to win. Ruby turned away, not wanting anyone else to be able to sneak up on her while she was without aura. She turned and looked over the battlefield as a whole.

Atlas had won the day. There were still small pockets of fighting, but Raven’s tribe had been devastated. A few fires were burning, kept under relative control by a few Atlesian soldiers. This was a mess. Ruby had no idea where she could go. She couldn't let Qrow take her back. Not when she had a job to do.

But how would she do it now? Lily was dead and the tribe was gone. Who was going to train her? A rustling behind her wiped all the questions from her mind. She turned and saw Raven coming toward her, covered in blood. She still looked angry, but she also looked somehow resigned. “We have to go,” she said as she got closer.

“Raven? Go where? What happened? What about the tribe?” A huge mass of questions started to surge through Ruby’s mind, but one seemed more important than the others. “Why did you kill Lily?”

“The tribe is gone. Atlas has seen to that.” There was an edge to her voice, one that Ruby didn't like. “As for your other questions, I’ll answer them when we’re safe. I can’t let them take you.” With that she turned and sliced the air, tearing open a portal. Ruby looked at the swirling cloud. “Go,” Raven said simply. “I’ll be right behind you.” Swallowing hard, Ruby nodded and went through.

A moment later Raven stepped out and the portal closed. Ruby looked at their new surroundings, feeling a little uneasy at seeing so many buildings. “Welcome to Mistral,” Raven said quietly.


	12. Chapter 12

“She was right there. Not three feet away from me, and Raven still managed to get away with her,” Qrow said, taking a long pull from his flask and ignoring the angry look that Yang shot him. He had returned about an hour earlier, telling them about the battle that had happened in the wilderness and how he had stopped Winter from killing Ruby. He looked haggard and worn, and was clearly frustrated. 

“Do you know where she went?” Taiyang asked hopefully. Qrow shook his head and Taiyang’s expression fell. “So we’re back to where we were before.”

Blake looked over at Yang, seeing the sadness on her face. She reached over and grabbed Yang’s hand, squeezing gently. Yang gave her a tight smile and squeezed back. Silence hung heavy in the room for a moment, until Ren broke it. “What are you planning on doing with Ruby when you find her?”

“What?” Taiyang blurted. 

It was Jaune that spoke up this time. “Well...Ruby did kill all those people at Beacon.” Blake winced as Yang’s grip tightened unexpectedly. “Some of it’s on camera. And now she’s spent who knows how long running around with a tribe of bandits that also goes around killing people.” He hesitated, looking like he didn't really want to be having this conversation. “We just...well we want to know what you’ll do with her.”

Qrow was totally silent for a long time. Then he sighed. “I plan on handing her over to Vale.”

“What?!” It was Yang this time. She had let go of Blake’s hand and stood up, her eyes flashing dangerously.

“It’s what needs to be done,” Qrow said sad but determined. “When I think of Ruby, all I want to remember is the cheerful little girl in a red cloak, smashing into walls because she doesn't have full control of her semblance yet. But that isn't who she is anymore. You didn't see her Yang. She was covered in blood, and none of it was her own.” He sat down, not looking at anyone in the room. “That isn't even the worst of it. I came across Shion village in my search. Well, what was left of it. I found one survivor in the rubble. She told me about the raid, told me about a person wearing a Grimm mask and wielding a giant scythe. Told me about that same person killing people. She’s not innocent Yang.”

“So, what, you’re just going to hand her over and let her get killed?” Yang’s voice was furious, her eyes were blazing, and she looked like she was about to attack Qrow.

“Vale doesn't have the death penalty. The SDC doesn't have enough pull to change the law, so she’s likely to just end up in prison. I couldn't just watch Winter execute my niece, but I can't really defend what she’s done.” He met Yang’s eyes. “She’s a killer. She has to face the consequences for what she did.” 

“This is all Cinder’s fault,” Yang said angrily, fists clenched.

“He’s right,” Taiyang said quietly.

“Dad!”

“You think I like this?” He fell into a chair, looking crushed. “At least this way she has a chance at rehabilitation.”

Yang stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Blake looked at Taiyang and he nodded. Blake went after her and found Yang outside, pacing angrily. “How could they think that?!” she shouted as she caught sight of Blake. “How could they all just assume the worst about Ruby?”

Blake hesitated. She understood where Qrow was coming from, understood the points he was making. “Yang, you saw what happened.” Blake winced as she said this, knowing what Yang’s reaction would be. Yang’s shoulders tensed and she turned to face Blake.

“You too, huh?” Blake had expected anger. She had expected shouting. She hadn't expected to see tears forming in lilac eyes. “I had hoped you’d be on my side at least.”

“Yang,” Blake said as she moved closer, “You know me. I’m the last person that would say someone doesn't deserve a second chance. But Ruby...she killed people.”

“Yeah,” Yang said with a quiet sob, “I guess - I guess I just didn't want to accept it, you know? I just wanted my little sister back. I wanted to be a family again.” She leaned back against a wall and sank to the ground, her knees in her chest. “I never wanted anything like this to happen.” Blake sat down next to Yang and leaned up against her, seeing the spots form on her shirt as tears fell.

“Believe me, I know a lot about not wanting to accept that someone’s changed,” she said quietly.

Yang glanced down at the scars on Blake’s stomach. “Yeah, I guess you do,” she said in a sorrowful voice.

“I don't think we should write Ruby off yet. She changed once, maybe she can change back.” Blake met Yang’s eyes. “I did, after all.”

Yang flashed her a feeble smile. “Yeah, I suppose you did.” Her smile fell. She looked down, eyes focused on nothing. “Prison, though? Is that really what’s best for her?”

“I don't know. I don't think it can be avoided though. Anything she did out in the wilderness...well no kingdom’s law would cover that. The stuff that happened at Beacon though, and to -” Her voice caught briefly and she paused. Swallowing hard, Blake pressed on. “To Weiss, it was caught on video. The whole world saw what happened.”

“Yeah.” Yang was silent for a moment, staring at the ground. “Do you really think that she can come back from this?”

“I think she can if she wants to,” Blake said, smiling slightly. She really did. “She’ll just need you to help her,” Blake put her hand on top of Yang’s, “the same way you helped me.” Yang smiled at her, a little warmth seeping back into her eyes as she laid her head on Blake’s shoulder. They sat like that for a few minutes, silently comforting one another. “Come on,” Blake said suddenly, standing. She dragged Yang to her feet and started to lead her down the street.

“Where are you taking me?”

“I know just the thing to help calm your nerves,” Blake half answered.

Yang groaned a little. “You know I don't like tea.”

“That’s because you drown it in honey and milk. It’s barely tea by the time it touches your lips.”

“That’s kinda the point,” Yang said sarcastically. She sounded a little happier, and for all her protests she was still letting Blake lead her. They walked for a few minutes, until they passed a local bookstore. Blake glanced in the window, as she always did. Today though, something inside caught her eye. She turned to Yang.

“Go on ahead and get us a table, okay? I’m gonna check something out in here.”

“Yeah?” Yang said with a grin. “They got some new smut for ya?”

“I don’t read smut!” Blake protested, her voice jumping in pitch. Blake noticed that her sudden, and unintentionally loud, protest had drawn a few curious looks.

“Right,” Yang said with a wink, “so those ninja books I’ve found-”

“They aren't smut,” Blake said defensively. She could feel the heat rising in her face.

Yang laughed, smiling brightly. “Then I must have really misinterpreted the scene where the tall barbarian woman has her way with the ninja.” Her smile turned mischievous. “I did think it was interesting that you had that part dog-eared,” she said. Blake’s face felt like it was on fire. She was certain that she was a shade of red that matched Qrow’s cloak, judging by how wide Yang’s smile had gotten. Yang’s face grew suddenly thoughtful and she put her hand on her chin. “What did Weiss always call me when she was mad?”

“I’m going inside now,” Blake said, squeaking slightly and blushing furiously, her ears twitching. She pulled the door open just a little too quickly in her haste. The heavy wooden door shut with a thud, cutting off any possible response from Yang. She glanced out the window and saw Yang continue to walk toward the café, her blonde hair disappearing past the edge of the window. She turned and started to walk further into the shop.

Flustered and not really paying attention, she barely made it two steps before she ran headlong into someone. “Oh, I’m s-” Her amber eyes went suddenly wide as she caught sight of who she’d bumped into.

* * *

“So that’s why we moved around so much,” Ruby said, drying her hair, “because you kept seeing Atlas attack.”

“Yes,” Raven said bitterly. She eyed Ruby. “You believe me then? About the visions?” There was an odd, hopeful note in her voice. 

Ruby was silent for a moment, thinking. It was crazy, the idea that someone could see the future. But still… “Maybe,” she said. Raven stared at her, looking like she wanted to speak but didn't dare. “I honestly still don't know how much I can trust you. You killed Lily without a second thought, you refuse to tell anyone your reasons for doing things, and you still haven't told me why you left me in the forest for so long.” Ruby’s voice had gotten louder now, and she realized she was starting to get angry. She took a moment to calm herself. This house might be empty, but the neighbors were still there. “Why should I trust that you can actually see the future, and aren't just a clever storyteller?”

Raven’s expression hardened and then she sighed. “You were dangerous. You had just lost nearly everything and you could have snapped at any moment. You _did_ snap. I looked in on you a few times and you were always carrying on a conversation with yourself.” She paused, looking out toward the city. “And...” Raven took a deep breath. “If I hadn't left you there like I did you wouldn't have ended up joining me. You would have said no, and found your way back home.” Raven laughed, a bitter and joyless sound. “You were supposed to protect the tribe from the Grimm, after we dealt with all the Cinder business. I guess I should have left you back in Higanbana. I doubt the Schnee woman would have hunted us so obsessively without you there.”

Ruby’s eye narrowed. Raven had let her nearly starve in the wilderness just so she could use her. She really was no better than Cinder. Silently, Ruby started to clean her cloak. She had cleaned Crescent Rose before showering, not wanting to let the blood sit on the blade for too long. She didn't know how to feel. Raven had, at least according to her, saved Ruby from execution. She had helped trained Ruby to kill Cinder, even if there was an ulterior motive. But she had still used Ruby, or she had planned to anyway.

Ruby sighed. She hadn't really planned on staying with Raven. The fight with those people in the forest and the battle against Atlas had shown Ruby that sometimes killing was necessary. But she didn't want to kill any more innocent people. She still had nightmares about the two men she had killed in Shion. Ruby got to her feet and put on her cloak. “I’m going to go get some food,” she said, grabbing some of the lien they had found in the house. Raven didn't say anything as she walked cautiously out the back door.

Ruby walked down the street, trying not to draw too much attention. She had no idea if Atlas had people here looking for her, but she figured avoiding trouble would be the smart move regardless. Mistral was an interesting city. The architecture was so different from Vale, and the fact that the city was built into a mountain made navigating it tricky. She had no idea why Raven brought them here, but she was at least going to get some food that wasn't cooked in a camp. Maybe she could find some strawberries.

Or at least that had been her plan, until she saw something that made her heart stop. Coming toward her, walking hand-in-hand, were Yang and Blake. Yang looked like she had been crying earlier, but now she had a warm smile on her face. Blake had a matching one, and Ruby noticed that she had done away with the ribbon. She was torn. Part of her wanted to run, to flee back to where she and Raven were hiding before Yang could see her. Part of her wanted to rush over and give Yang a hug.

She couldn't let them see her. They would want to take her back, and she couldn't go. She had too much to do. She still had to find and stop Cinder. Without much thought Ruby ducked into the nearest store, waiting for the pair of them to pass. She looked around. She had ducked into a bookstore. The shelves were stuffed to the point of groaning with books and the air smelled like a mixture of leather and paper. It was a nice enough shop, although she realized that a bookstore might not have been the best place to hide from Blake. She would just have to hope that Yang would keep her from coming in. Yang had never cared much for bookstores, preferring to read from her scroll.

The door creaked open and Ruby glanced outside the windows. She saw Yang disappear around the edge, walking out of view. They had passed, thankfully. Distracted, Ruby started back toward the entrance. Still angry, she didn't want to head back to Raven. She decided to continue her quest for strawberries. At least then something would go right today. Keeping an eye on the window, in case the two of them appeared again, Ruby walked blindly into another person.

“Oh,” she heard in a terrifyingly familiar voice, “I’m s – Ruby?!”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick warning, this chapter gets VERY dark. Even by the standards of this story.

Ruby looked up and caught a pair of shocked amber eyes. Blake stood there, ears straight up and face oddly flushed, looking like she couldn't believe what she was seeing. She reached out and put a hand on Ruby’s shoulder, causing Ruby to abruptly back away. “It is you. Ruby what happened? How did you get here?”

“I – That doesn't matter,” she said quickly. “You didn't see me.” Ruby backed away. This was the last thing she wanted to happen. The only thing that could make it worse was Yang walking through the door. The thought of seeing those lilac eyes, filled with love – no. She couldn't think about that now. She had too much to do. She didn't deserve it anyway.

“What?” Confusion had replaced shock. “What do you mean? Ruby everyone is looking for you.”

Memories of a battlefield and vicious white Grimm flashed through Ruby’s mind and her expression darkened. “Yeah. I know.”

“Ruby, we came here to find you. We’ve all been so worried, nobody more than Yang.” Ruby flinched a little at hearing the name. “Please,” Blake pleaded, “come back.”

Blake’s words threw Ruby’s heart into turmoil. A part of her, the part that Weiss had tried so long to get her to listen to, ached to go back. To go home. That part of her wanted nothing more than to get crushed by hugs from her father and Yang, and to cuddle up on the couch with Zwei, and be her old self again. 

But she knew it couldn't happen. The girl she used to be was dead, buried in a burned out village. Lying, forgotten, in a clearing. Pale and cold on a sidewalk at Beacon. All she had left was vengeance.

Steeling herself, Ruby shoved aside that small ache, locking it deep inside her soul. “No,” she said. She was a little shocked at how cold she sounded, but she tried not to show it. Blake, judging by her reaction, was surprised too. Her eyes widened for a moment, then narrowed. She looked over Ruby, as if she was finally taking in her appearance. Her eyes settled on Ruby’s eye patch. Her expression changed, looking almost sad.

“You’ve changed,” she said softly.

Ruby barked out a laugh, causing the clerk behind them to flinch. She was surprised he hadn't said anything to them. He didn't matter anyway. “What gave it away?”

“It isn't just your eye,” Blake said, looking her over again, “I knew about that. It’s your tone. Your stance. The look in your eyes. I’ve seen that in people before.” She let the last bit hang in the air ominously. 

“Well, people change after they kill someone,” Ruby said bluntly. Blake seemed shocked that she had just come out and said it. “What? You already know. The whole world knows.”

“I guess...I guess I just never saw you as a killer. As someone that could take a life without remorse.”

Ruby looked down, eyes focused on the floor. “Who said I have no remorse?” Blake’s expression was confused. “I regret killing those people at Beacon. I regret the huntsman and the innocent guard in Shion. I -” Her voice broke, a sob threatening to emerge. “I regret killing Weiss. Both times.”

“What?” Blake blurted. Ruby ignored her.

“But I don't regret killing those bandits. I don’t regret killing the Atlas soldiers that tried to kill me.” She looked up and met Blake’s eyes. “And I won’t regret killing Cinder when I find her.”

* * *

Silence hung heavily in the shop. The clerk had long since fled to the back, leaving the two of them alone. Blake stared at her, shock and confusion keeping her from speaking. Ruby kept her expression neutral, with the exception of a silver eye filled with hate. Blake could barely believe what she was hearing. Qrow had told them that Ruby killed people, she had even seen the footage from Beacon, but hearing Ruby admit to it was something else entirely. 

Blake wasn't sure what to think. Ruby had expressed some remorse, which was relieving, but she also talked about killing soldiers and bandits with the same quiet intensity she used when talking about killing Grimm. And she apparently shared Yang’s obsession with Cinder. Blake also wondered what Ruby meant when she said she regretted killing Weiss ‘both times’. Had Ruby lost her mind?

“Ruby, Cinder is -”

“A maiden?” Ruby cut her off. “That doesn't matter. They can die. I’ve seen it.” There was a slight note of sadness in her voice when she said that. “Plus, I’ve hurt Cinder before. Now I have better control of my power.”

“The thing with your eyes?” Blake asked, confused. “Qrow said they only work against Grimm.”

A small smile appeared on Ruby’s face, as though a pleasant memory had flashed through her mind. “And Cinder. Her screams showed that pretty clearly.” Blake wasn’t used to hearing Ruby’s voice like that. She sounded hard. Like Adam had, back when he started down the wrong path.

“Ruby, you can’t just go around killing people indiscriminately.”

Ruby scowled. “Haven’t you been listening? I’m not going to. I only kill people who deserve it.”

“And what makes you the judge of who deserves death?” Blake asked, voice taut and getting louder.

“Cinder does!” Ruby shouted, her hands balled into fists at her side. “Those bandits did. Even Lily, if I’m being honest.” Her fists clenched. “Without Cinder, Weiss would still be alive. Cinder deserves death because she caused Weiss’ death. Once she’s dealt with,” Ruby paused, her expression completely blank, “well I caused Weiss’ death too.”

Blake eyes widened in horror, her hand shooting up to her mouth. “Ruby you can’t-”

“Why not?” Ruby screamed. “I killed my best friend. I’m worse than Cinder.”

“Do you think that’s what Weiss would want you to do?” Blake said in a pleading tone. 

Ruby’s head dropped, and Blake saw tears splash against the floor. “I know what she would want me to do. She never shut up about it. She just wanted me to go back to my family, and I killed her again because she wouldn’t stop talking about it. I’m a monster.”  
Blake suddenly stepped forward, and before Ruby could react she had wrapped the small girl in a hug. Ruby struggled for a moment and then, sobbing, she hugged back. They stood like that for a moment, Ruby’s body shaking with sobs. “Ruby, you can come back to your family. We all love you, and we just want you to come home.” Blake was starting to cry now too. “I know it’s difficult. I know you hate yourself for what happened, and that it’s going to be very hard for you to live with.” She stepped back, locking eyes with Ruby. “But we’ll be here for you, okay? Me, Yang, your dad, even your uncle if he stops drinking long enough. We’ll do anything and everything we can for you, because we love you.”

Ruby’s face flitted between emotions. Her eye was red from the tears, the marks of which stood out against the fabric of her shirt. “I don't deserve that,” she said, her eye dropping to the floor.

“That’s not true Ruby,” Blake said, grabbing the younger girl’s shoulders gently. “You’re never irredeemable. You’ve done some bad things, and I know it seems like you can never come back from that. But you can. You’re strong enough to do that. You’re strong enough to choose to walk the right path again.”

“How could you possibly know that?” Ruby asked, voice thick with disbelief.

Blake’s expression soured at the memory Ruby’s question brought up. “Because I’ve been there. Because I came back, and you’re stronger than I ever was.”

“You don't know that.”

“I always run. I ran away from my family, from the White Fang, when things got tough. I very nearly ran away from your sister too. You? I’ve never seen you run. You stood up to Torchwick multiple times. You even stood up to _Ozpin_ because you thought it was right. Yes, you did that because you were lied to, but the point is that you don't back down. If someone like me, whose first impulse is to run, can come back from that dark path, then you can too. I believe in you Ruby.”

Ruby stared silently, her expression nearing on hopeful. It made Blake think of how things had been before. She opened her mouth to say something when the door swung loudly open.

“Blake how many times have I told you not to keep me waiting because you buried your nose in a book? Your gross tea is getting cold.” Yang said jokingly. Blake spun and saw Yang as she caught sight of Ruby. Disbelief flashed across her face before it was replaced by a mixture of love and relief. Tears welled in lilac eyes. “Ruby?” she asked in a small voice. Blake looked to Ruby, who was frozen. The silver-eyed girl looked like she was trying to move in two different directions at once, both toward and away from Yang. “Oh my god, Ruby,” Yang said, more emotion stuffed into four words than Blake thought possible.

Yang stepped toward her, which made Ruby step back. “Ruby?”

Blake saw something suddenly shift in Ruby. The small hope, that brief glimpse of the old Ruby that Blake had seen, was gone. She once again looked like she had when Blake ran into her a few minutes ago. She stepped further away from Yang. “I can't go back,” she muttered, seemingly to herself, “too much to do.”

“What do you mean? Of course you can come back.” Yang sounded confused.

“No,” Ruby said, her voice uncharacteristically hard, “I can’t.” She looked up at Yang, unwavering. “Maybe ever.” She looked at Blake. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I can choose a different path. But I can't come back.”

“Why not?” Yang asked, confused tears streaming down her face.”

“Because the Ruby Rose you knew died. She’s buried at Beacon, along with her innocence.” She closed her eye and swallowed hard. “I’m sorry.” She looked to Blake. "I guess I'm not really stronger than you after all."

Yang looked confused, but Blake knew what was about to happen. “Ruby,” Blake said quickly, “please, don’t -” But it was too late. There was a rush of wind, and where Ruby had stood only a handful of rose petals remained, wafting slowly to the floor. Yang fell to her knees, hand held out in front of her. A rose petal settled into her outstretched palm, slowly fading away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, both for the short-ish chapter and the long wait. Life has gotten pretty crazy, in both good and bad ways, recently.
> 
> Edit 11/12/17: Just want to update real quick to say that this isn't abandoned. I've had quite a bit going on in my life lately and haven't had a lot of time to write. Hopefully I can get the next chapter up soon.


	14. Chapter 14

Yang knelt, frozen, watching the rose petal dissolve in her hand. Ruby. Ruby had been here.  
She had been so close.

And then she’d left.

A small part of Yang’s mind wondered why she wasn’t crying. But all she felt was numb. She had spent so many months convinced that Ruby was alive, even if nobody else believed her. She had journeyed halfway across the world just to find Ruby.

And Ruby had just left. Without even saying a word to the woman who had traveled so far to find her.

Yang heard Blake’s voice, distant and muffled. The words didn’t come through. Yang vaguely felt a hand gently touch her shoulder.

Ruby’s face was burned into Yang’s mind, though she had only glimpsed Ruby briefly before she left. She looked so different from what Yang remembered. She was thinner, her cheekbones stood out more. Her hair was short and roughly cut, as though she had done it with a knife. But the thing that stood out most to Yang was her eyes. One covered in a makeshift eyepatch that looked like it had been torn from her cloak, a small scar just visible below it. The other looked haunted and hard. As though the bright silver had been beaten until it was nothing but a dull grey.

What had happened to her?

“Yang!” Blake said urgently, shaking her shoulder. “Snap out of it!” Reality came crashing back. She turned to see Blake’s amber eyes focused on her, concern written in them. “We have to go. Maybe we can catch her.”

Yang laughed, though the sound was empty of any joy. “You know as well as I do that we won’t.” Her voice was quiet, distant.

“We still have to try.” Blake dragged Yang to her feet.

“What’s the point? She’s faster than both of us put together.” Yang’s dropped her eyes to the ground. “We’ll never catch her.”

“We have to try,” Blake said, her voice intense. “She’s in a very bad place right now. I’m pretty sure -” Blake took a deep breath, as though it was a struggle to even think what she was about to say. “Yang I think she’s going to kill herself.”

“What?!” Yang shouted.

“She said that she wanted to kill everyone responsible for Weiss’ death, and she included herself in that list.”

“Oh my god,” Yang said, horrified. She could barely believe it. If anyone but Blake had told her she wouldn’t have. “We have to get my dad. And Qrow. And whoever else we can find.” Blake nodded, her eyes serious. 

A few minutes later they stood in Qrow’s room, Blake explaining what had happened. The sun was setting, casting an orange glow through the room. On any other day their view out the windows would have been spectacular.

“Why did you let her get away?” Qrow growled.

Blake glared at him. “Have you ever been able to stop Ruby from getting anywhere?” she snapped. Qrow glared right back.

“Look kid, I know she’s fast but -”

“You really don’t,” Blake cut him off. “I don’t know what your sister did to Ruby, but she’s faster now than she ever was. It was like she disappeared.”

“Maybe to you. But I have a lot more experience dealing with Ruby’s speed. I know how to stop her.”

Blake’s eyes got harder, her glare more intense. “Well maybe if you hadn’t been lying around drinking -”

Her dad stepped between them, breaking their eyeline. “Qrow’s just worried,” he said, trying to them both down. “We all are.” Blake stalked away, standing closer to the door and glaring.

Qrow sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Regardless of whose fault this is, we need to find Ruby.”  
“Mistral is pretty big,” Jaune said, “We don’t even know where to start looking. Ruby could be anywhere by now.”

* * *

Ruby sat atop the roof, her knees in her chest. Seeing Yang had been hard. Harder than she’d ever thought it would have been. The whole thing had been stupid. She should never have stayed and talked to Blake. She had been so close to letting Blake convince her to abandon her mission. Yang showing up had snapped Ruby out of it. Ruby supposed she should be thankful for that, at least.

Ruby thought about what Blake had said. Could she come back someday? Could she walk a different path? Ruby felt like she knew too much now, that she had seen too much of how the world really was, to just go back to the way things were. The truth, the same truth that Blake had tried to tell her when they first met, was that the world was a cold, unforgiving place. Cinder had burned away the wool covering Ruby’s eyes, exposing her forever to the hard truth.

Thinking about Cinder stoked the flames of Ruby’s hatred. Cinder was one of the people making the world dark, or at least taking advantage of the darkness. She had to be killed. It was the only way that Ruby could save others from her. Mercury and Emerald would probably have to die too. They had helped at the Fall of Beacon. But they weren't the source of the trouble either. Salem was. 

Ruby didn't know much about Salem. Cinder had never really talked about her much, outside of mentioning that she worked for her. Ruby wondered how much killing Cinder would really accomplish. Salem clearly had other people working for her. Not only had Ruby met one of them when that insane faunus had attacked, there was no way that Cinder had managed to pull off Beacon entirely alone. Would Cinder just be replaced? Cinder was a maiden, and it couldn't be easy to find those. One of them was already dead, the power lost for now.

Ruby shook her head, banishing those thoughts. For now she needed to get herself together. She could waste time on feelings later. She had to figure out how to find Cinder. The only problem was she had no idea where to start. Cinder could be anywhere on Remnant. Probably not Vale. She had claimed she was from Mistral though. This city was as good a place to start as any.

Using her semblance to try and avoid being seen, Ruby crossed the city. Her destination was Haven Academy. Maybe there were some records there, or maybe she could talk to the headmaster. She didn’t know how she’d do that without getting arrested though. She’d have to figure it out as she went, Haven was her only lead right now. 

She practically flew across Mistral, which was good since she wanted to avoid the city elevators as much as possible. Too many people. She preferred rooftops and alleyways. Less chance of her being spotted and having to explain herself. Or worse, having to fight more innocent people.

Ruby stopped in a quite part of town to rest a little. Her aura reserves were uncomfortably low from the excessive use of her semblance. She needed to let it recharge. Looking around, she kinda wished she’d picked a nicer part of town. This area looked a little seedy and dangerous. She supposed that she fit in then. Who would question the ragged little girl hanging out in the bad part of town?

These thoughts led her mind down a dark path, wondering if she would be in places like this for the rest of her life, when a familiar voice shattered her reverie.

“I don't know why she always sends us to the crap parts of town,” came the voice of Mercury Black. He sounded bored.

“It isn’t Cinder’s fault that the White Fang likes to hang out around here,” Emerald replied. “Besides, it’s not like anyone here will give us trouble.”

Ruby’s heart stopped. Emerald and Mercury were here. That meant Cinder couldn't be too far away. More importantly, they weren't aware Ruby was here. That gave her a chance to deal with Emerald. Maybe even both of them. As quietly as she could, Ruby snuck away.

She zipped from rooftop to rooftop as quietly as she could, trying to put a decent amount of distance between her and Emerald. Emerald’s semblance made her too dangerous to fight directly. Ruby had never been able to see through her illusions. So she moved, up and away. Far enough that the shot would hit long before Emerald would hear it.

Ruby carefully lined up her shot, glad once again that Emerald hadn’t taken her aiming eye, knowing she only got once chance. Hoping that Emerald didn’t have her aura up, she squeezed the trigger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry about the several month hiatus. Life got crazy. New job and such. I'm back now, I should have more time to write and hopefully regularly get chapters out. This chapter is kinda short, I need to work at it a little to get back into the swing of things.


	15. Chapter 15

They had decided to split up to search for Ruby. Nora and Ren went off together, heading up to search the school. Yang hoped that Ren could help keep Nora from getting overzealous in her search. The last thing they needed was someone bringing too much attention to Ruby’s presence. Her dad grabbed Jaune and headed toward the marketplace, saying something sarcastic about blondes needing to stick together. Qrow, predictably, went off on his own. He said that he could cover more ground alone, since nobody else could turn into a bird.

Yang was following Blake as she lead them to some of the seedier parts of the city. She was impatient and worried. If she was being honest, she was still a little messed up from her brief encounter with Ruby earlier. Blake walked close to her, and Yang noticed the faunus girl sneaking glances. “What?” Yang asked suddenly, a little more irritation in her tone than she’d wanted.

Blake flushed a little at being noticed. “I just want to make sure you’re handling this okay,” she said, amber eyes intense. “If I’m too close...”

“It’s fine,” Yang said, forcing a smile. The look on Blake’s face said she knew it wasn't genuine. “How do you know so much about this city anyway?” she asked, hoping her sudden change of subject wasn't too obvious.

Blake’s expression changed in an instant. Her eyes focused on a point in the distance and her face fell into a sad, wistful expression. “I came here a couple of times when I was still with the Fang. The sort of stuff I usually did for them - thefts, planting evidence, stuff like that.”

“Did you ever have to kill anyone?” Yang asked tentatively.

“No,” she said, sounding relieved. “There was one time,” she shook her head, “but I couldn't go through with it. Adam got angry at me for that. He killed the man right in front of me, then berated me for not being strong enough to do it.” Blake shuddered at the memory, wrapping her arms around herself.

Yang threw her arm around the black-haired faunus. “I’m glad you couldn't,” she said. Her expression darkened. “Too many people I know have suddenly become killers.” Blake smiled at her, warmth creeping into her expression.

As if to punctuate Yang’s point, a loud crack suddenly rang out. It was uncomfortably familiar. Her eyes locked with Blake’s. “Was that?” Blake asked, her eyes widening slightly.

Yang nodded. “It came from that direction,” she said, pointing toward one of the shabby looking buildings. They took off at a run, Blake drawing her sword. Yang eyed her. “Do you really think you’ll need that?” she asked.

Blake’s expression became grim. “I think that depends on what she was shooting at,” she said matter-of-factly. Yang grimaced, worried. The last thing she wanted to do was find Ruby with Ember Celica deployed. Between what she saw and what Blake had told her, the girl seemed skittish enough without seeing her sister running toward her with a weapon ready. She decided it would be best to wait, her gauntlets could deploy pretty quickly anyway.

They passed a few people huddled out of sight as they ran. Yang noticed that most of them seemed to be faunus. Yang glanced at Blake to see her reaction to this, but the girl gave no sign of any emotion. Yang guessed that Blake was already aware that the poor part of town was mostly faunus.

The two young huntresses turned a corner and skidded to a stop. The body of a young woman lay in an alley, missing a large portion of her chest. Her red eyes were shocked but unfocused. Blood was pooling around her body. Yang’s eyes went wide, having trouble believing that Ruby had just shot someone.

Blake caught her attention with a quick whisper of her name. She looked up and noticed the man standing next to Emerald’s body. Mercury Black. He stood there, looking down at the dead girl with a look of uncaring condescension. “Shoulda known what would happen, walking around in this part of town without her aura up.” He looked up at Yang and Blake. “So this is the work of the little red kid then? At least I’m assuming that, since you two are here. I’d heard rumors she was alive.”

Fury rose in Yang’s chest. It wasn't Cinder, but it was one of her goons. Her fists clenched, Ember Celica deploying quickly. She started to step forward but Blake grabbed her arm. “Careful,” she whispered, “we don’t know how strong he is.” Blake looked from Emerald’s body to Mercury. “You don’t seem too concerned about your friend.”

Mercury laughed. “Friend? We were barely co-workers. Sure, I’ll be sad I didn't get to sleep with her but she was too stupid to keep her aura up.” He shrugged. “It’s her own fault she got a hole in her chest.” Mercury sighed. “Cinder’s not gonna be happy that she’s dead though. The girl may have been an idiot, but her semblance was useful.” He looked at Blake and Yang, smirking insufferably. “She’ll be happy when I bring you two to her though. She’s been wanting to hurt someone for what the red kid did to her.”

“Where’s Cinder?” Yang growled. 

“You’ll find out soon enough kid. Although I doubt you’ll keep that fire after she’s played with you for a bit.” His aura flashed twice, the crack of a rifle sounding a split second later. “Annoying brat.” He turned to them and smirked again. Yang longed to punch that look off his stupid face. “Doubt she’ll shoot if she has a chance of hitting you two though.” With that he threw himself forward.

Yang and Blake dodged to opposite sides, rolling and coming up in a combat stance. Yang glanced up in the direction that the shots had come from. “Go after Ruby!” she shouted to Blake. “I can handle him.” Blake hesitated, glancing quickly between her and Mercury, and then nodded. She jumped, her clone helping to push her up to the roof.

Mercury watched her go, that damn smirk still on his face. “Big mistake blondie.”

* * *

Blake glanced back as she ran, watching Yang fall into a fighting stance. She hoped that Yang would be okay. She had to focus now though, otherwise Ruby would get away. She might have already, considering the distance that shot would had to have been made from. She looked around, trying to catch sight of Ruby. In the distance, Blake saw movement. A small red figure was making it’s way across the rooftops.

Blake picked up speed, moving across the city as fast as she could, using her semblance or Gambol Shroud to cross larger gaps and move upward. She knew she could never keep up with Ruby, but she knew the city better. She had to hope that would be enough. Ruby didn't seem to be using her semblance right now either, which would help Blake keep up.

Blake managed to get within a hundred feet before Ruby noticed her. She turned and started to run even faster. She still wasn’t using her semblance though, which confused Blake. Even a short burst of speed would give Ruby a pretty big lead. It didn't matter though, Blake was glad for the opportunity to get to her. “Ruby, wait!” she shouted. Ruby froze for a moment, then disappeared in a flurry of rose petals. She went up, to a higher tier in the city. 

Blake just stared up. She’d never seen Ruby do that before. She knew the girl was fast, but she had moved straight up the side of the mountain. Blake had only ever seen her do stuff like that with Weiss’ help. A flutter of wings caught her attention. She turned and saw a large black bird flying toward her. A moment later, Qrow was standing in front of her. “I saw you chasing her. Which way did she go?” he asked. Blake pointed. “How in the hell?” He shook his head. “I’ll go after her. I can move across the city a lot faster. Go find the others and tell them what’s going on.” With that he simply shifted and flew upward. Blake stared for a moment, wondering exactly how he did that. Shaking her head, she started to run back toward Yang. It hadn’t been that long, she could probably get back in time to help Yang fight Mercury. 

She got about a third of the way back when she stopped in her tracks. Kneeling on a nearby building, her frame outlined by the light of the sun, was Ilia. She was facing away from Blake and hadn’t noticed there. Blake ducked quickly behind a chimney. With everything that had happened since she’d run into Ruby, Blake had forgotten entirely about whatever the White Fang was planning. It was going to happen tonight. She had to figure it out, and then she had to stop it.

She started to head toward the Menagerie embassy building. Yang would be okay. And Blake had to stop Adam. Once and for all.

* * *

Yang fell into a fighting stance while Mercury just stood there, smirking. “You might’ve stood a chance if you’d let that faunus stick around. Plus it would’ve saved me the trouble of tracking her down later.”

Yang’s expression hardened as she tensed, ready to move. “You know, you shouldn't underestimate me. I’ve seen you fight.”

Mercury just laughed, putting up his arms in mock surrender. “Oh no, now you know my secrets.” He moved into a relaxed stance. “Well if that’s the case, why don’t you just come at m-” Yang cut him off, firing to give herself a boost. Mercury managed to dodge out of the way, just barely. He was fast, but not so fast she couldn't overcome it. She swung a few more times, Mercury just barely moving out of the way of each one.

He jumped, firing his guns to throw himself backward. Not wanting him to regain his feet, Yang let loose a barrage of explosive shots, aiming right where he was going to land. He flipped backward, narrowly avoiding her shots. Yang was starting to get frustrated. True, he was narrowly avoiding her, but she still couldn't get a solid hit on him. Grumbling, she waited for the cloud of dust her attacks had thrown up to start to settle. She knew better than to charge blind through something like that.

As if to justify her caution, a ball of white energy suddenly flew out of the cloud. She tried to dodge, but she wasn't fast enough. The energy clipped her, sending her spinning and making her aura flash. Mercury jumped out a moment later, landing a few good hits before she could recover. She spun and threw an elbow at him, assisted by Ember Celica. Her hit connected, finally. Mercury took the hit gracefully, spinning and hitting her again. It didn't matter. None of his hits had been all that serious, and every one of them just made her stronger.

The fight went back and forth, each of them landing a few hits. Yang’s aura was starting to get worryingly low, but Mercury was slowing down too. He was still dodging most of her attacks, but more of them were getting through. She needed to end this before he could take her out.

Yang used her semblance, and an explosion of yellow flame lit the alley. Despite all the hits she had taken, she felt amazing. Yang always loved the feeling of her semblance, the power and speed it granted her was such a rush. It made her feel invincible.  
Smiling, she got ready to wipe the smirk of Mercury’s face. She threw a few punches, mainly as a feint, and finally got Mercury right where she wanted him. Flaring her semblance for all the strength she could muster, she threw the punch that would end the fight.

And missed.

Mercury moved much faster than he had been for the last minute, and effortlessly sidestepped her punch. Her fist slammed into a wall, sending a web of cracks up all around it. A second later, she felt his shin slam into her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. She stumbled back a few steps, and he kicked her in the face. She fell backward onto the ground, thankful that she still had a small amount of aura left.

“That was pretty fun,” Mercury said, amused. “I especially liked that little smile you got right before you missed.” He kicked her in the side, hard. “As though a kid like you would stand a chance against me. Do you really think that Cinder would hire someone that could be taken down by a first year student?” He looked down on her, the same aggravating smirk on his face. “Your lucky Cinder wants to play with you. Otherwise I’d kill you right here.”

Yang watched, stunned, as he raised his foot up over her head. She closed her eyes, waiting for the pain. It never came. Instead she heard a thump, the sound of someone slamming into a wall. She opened her eyes and saw her father standing there, his blue eyes as hard as ice. He knelt down and helped her sit up, his eyes softening as soon as they fell on her. “Jaune is waiting at the end of the alley, go sit with him and let your aura start to regenerate.” He looked at Mercury, and his face became a mask of cold fury. “I’ll handle him.” Yang nodded and slowly walked to the end of the alley, where Jaune helped her sit down. She was thankful, even though she didn't really need it. She turned and looked back toward where her dad stood, facing Mercury.

“So you’re one of the people that corrupted Ruby,” he said quietly. “And hurt Yang.” She could hear the barely restrained fury in his voice.

“It was pretty easy,” Mercury said, his tone casual and uncaring. Taiyang simply nodded, and then he struck.

She had never seen her dad fight before, not for real. Even in the roughest training sessions he still smile and made casual jokes. Now he was completely quiet, and moving like Yang had never seen. It was amazing. He dodged or blocked every one of Mercury’s attacks, not getting hit once. When he struck, he struck hard. Most of his attacks caused Mercury’s aura to flash. Mercury struck back, desperately defending himself, but Taiyang was merciless. Within a minute Yang saw something on Mercury’s face she never had before. Fear. The wry smirk was gone, replaced by a strained look.

It was over in less than two minutes. Taiyang had taken Mercury apart without getting hit once. Mercury leaned heavily against the cracked wall, panting. “So what, this is the part where you kill me?”

Taiyang stepped up to him, eyes hard. “You’re lucky you didn't fight her mother. Otherwise you’d have been dead several times over. Me? Well I’m just going to hand you over to the huntsmen. You’re wanted pretty much everywhere now kid.” Mercury started to say something, but Taiyang punched him square in the face, knocking him unconscious. He slumped to the alley floor. “That isn't to say I won’t hit you for what you did to my daughters.”

A bird landed nearby, and then suddenly Qrow was standing there. “The hell happened to you, firecracker?” he asked when he saw Yang. He looked over at Taiyang, who was dragging Mercury along behind him. “Oh. Well, lemme help you up. We should make our way back to the room.”

“Did you find Ruby?” Yang asked.

Qrow shook his head. “No. She got away.” He sighed, running his fingers through his hair in frustration. “Blake was right. That kid is faster than a 16 year old has any right to be.” He looked around. “Where is Blake anyway? I ran into her and sent her back this way.”

Yang shrugged. “I haven't seen her since the fight started. She’ll head back to the room when she realizes we aren't here though.” Qrow nodded, and they all made their way back.

A few hours later the sun was starting to set and dusk was settling over the city. Blake still hadn't come back, and Yang was starting to worry. Her aura was almost completely regenerated, and she was going to go out and look for Blake as soon as it was finished. Her dad wouldn't let her leave any earlier.

When they got back, they had discussed the day’s events. Mercury was under the care of the few huntsmen that were left. So many had been sent out on missions and never returned. Ren and Nora hadn’t found anything at the school, except for Sun and Neptune. Sun had been unhappy that they’d been in Mistral for so long without contacting him, and made Yang promise to take them out for dinner after they found Ruby. Qrow had gone back out to look for her, saying that he had a good idea of where she might be hiding. 

Yang sat on one of the benches outside, waiting for Blake to return. She heard a soft thump behind her and smiled. She turned toward the noise, a sarcastic comment coming to her lips. “And just where have yo – who the hell are you?” she asked, defensive. A young girl stood across from her holding a thin silver sword. She had greyish eyes and dark brown hair that ended in a large curl. Yang couldn't read the expression on her face, but it seemed like she was worried.

“My name is Ilia Amitola. I’m a…friend of Blake’s. I need your help to save her.”


	16. Chapter 16

Ruby quietly closed the door behind her, glad to have finally gotten away from everyone. She wasn't exactly thrilled to be back in this house, but she couldn't think of anywhere else to go. She just needed somewhere to process everything that had happened. The day hadn’t been entirely terrible, she’d killed Emerald after all, but having to avoid her friends was problematic. Why were they even in Mistral anyway? Had they really come halfway around the world just for her?

She sat down in the kitchen, not wanting to see Raven. She was sure that the older woman knew Ruby had returned, but Raven wasn't the type to seek someone out unless it was necessary. Ruby relaxed in the chair, exhausted. She had pushed herself too far today, used her semblance too much. She had nearly broken her own aura getting away from Qrow.

The silence in the house was absolute. Ruby found herself oddly missing the ghost that had troubled her for months. If Weiss had been here she’d probably have had some comment about running from a family that cared, as well as her constant suggestion that Ruby head home. Without her the room felt empty. Almost lonely. 

The image of Yang’s heartbroken face appeared, unbidden, in her mind, unbidden. It troubled her. Seeing that face, Ruby knew she had been wrong. Yang would forgive her, if Ruby just had the strength to ask. Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought of returning home, to the safety and warmth of her family. Silently, Ruby started to cry. She stood and walked to the restroom, splashing cold water on her face to try and stop the tears. The imagined feeling of a simple hug from Yang and her dad was almost more than she could bear.

Then she thought of the time Weiss had hugged her, when she had really needed it. The memory of confusion written on the poor girl’s face came back to her. There hadn’t even been betrayal in those eyes, just confusion as Weiss bled to death on the cold stone. Shuddering, Ruby looked up and saw herself in the mirror.

She barely recognized the woman looking back at her. A rough eye patch covered her ruined eye, the scar standing out against her skin above and below it. Dull silver stared back at her from the other side. She ran a hand down her face, tracing the stark cheekbones and the small scar on her jawline. She remembered how she had looked before, wide-eyed and innocent. She had wanted to fight monsters.

Now she had become one.

The pain of losing her eye came back to her with that thought, followed by seething hatred. Cinder. The woman was out there still, still plotting. Desires warred inside Ruby. She wanted to go home, but at the same time she knew it would be foolish. Not only would that let Cinder continue whatever her plans were, but Atlas was probably still looking for her. Especially since Winter Schnee knew she was alive. If she went home, she’d end up spending valuable time sitting in a prison cell. If she was lucky.

Her eyes drifted to the remains of her cloak. She had attempted to keep it repaired, but it had been hard. Lately it looked like a Beowulf had gotten to it. She had held onto it so stubbornly because it was the last remnant she had of her mother. After everything she’d done she imagined Summer would be disappointed in her. The cloak symbolized who Ruby had been as well. When she had wanted to follow in Summer’s footsteps, before everything had gone wrong.

Ruby slowly undid the clasps, holding the remnants of the cloak in her hand. She wasn't that girl anymore. She never could be again. She had become something else. She had a strength that terrified the Grimm. A strength that could hurt Cinder. She had to take advantage of that.

The quiet creak of floorboards let her know that Raven was standing behind her. She turned and saw the older woman dressed for battle, sword at her waist and mask in hand. Even with everything she’d been through, Raven still seemed to give off an aura of strength. “You need to prepare for this evening,” she said quietly. Ruby looked at her, slightly confused. “I’ll explain soon. Right now you need to restore your aura.” Raven walked away without another word. Ruby turned back to the mirror, taking in her appearance again. Maybe she needed to show strength like that.

She turned and walked out of the room, letting the cloak slip from her grasp and fall softly to the floor.

Maybe the world needed some monsters.

* * *

Blake approached the embassy as quietly as she could, which was almost completely silent. She wished that she had the cover of darkness to mask her approach, but she would have to make due. She couldn't afford to wait, the White Fang was going to pull off whatever they were planning tonight. Darkness wouldn't help her against the faunus anyway. She had to stop them, kill Adam before he could cause any more damage.

She studied the building, trying to locate any lookouts. There were a few people loitering in alleyways and at intersections, clearly keeping watch, but nobody watching the roofs. It was odd. Usually she would have that duty, since she was better equipped to move from rooftop to rooftop than the average member. There were few people that could escape Blake’s sense of hearing, especially if she was alert.

Blake was about to jump when she froze. A bit of movement had caught her eye. She looked down and saw Adam walking toward the entrance. There was blood on his coat. Her grip tightened, hear breath caught in her throat. Pain flashed briefly in her stomach, bringing back vivid memories of Beacon. He had said she needed to be taught a lesson. That he was sorry that he had to hurt her. She shook her head, forcing the memories into the back of her mind. The last thing she could afford today was distraction.

She waited until Adam and his guards entered the building, and then lept. She landed in a roll on the other roof, completely silent. She drew Gambol Shroud and looked around, wary. There were a few empty bottles of water and some food wrappers, indicating that there had been someone here. She must have shown up during a guard change. It was still irresponsible for them to have left the roof entrance unguarded for so long. Wary, Blake tried the door. It was locked, but locks had rarely been a problem for her. She picked it without much effort and slipped inside.

The stairwell was pitch black, but that wasn't surprising. White Fang hideouts were always like that. It made it look like the building was empty, and it made it more difficult for people to sneak up on them. She would have to be careful, since she couldn't rely on the shadows to hide her. She snuck down the stairs, stepping carefully to try and avoid making too much noise. The embassy was old and run down, making it somewhat difficult. She hoped any noise she made would be attributed to the fact that the building was in poor shape. For once, the way the faunus were treated here was an advantage. She felt vaguely ill thinking about it like that.

Blake slowly made her way through the darkened halls, stepping around corners or ducking into an open doorway to avoid the occasional Fang member. She could hear them coming a ways off. The building was darkened to appear abandoned, but normal conversation was unlikely to be heard from outside. By most people anyway. She made her way toward the main office. Adam would have set himself up there, it was the most obviously important room in the building. 

Taking care to be as stealthy as she could, Blake snuck up to the office door and pressed her ears against it. She stood there for a moment, listening. The room was empty. Wary, she opened the door. The room had obviously been used recently, but for now it was empty. The window shade was drawn and there were papers scattered about on the desk. The room smelled faintly of him too, an odor she had once found intriguing but now found appalling. An electric light sat on the desk, switched off for the time being. And a single chair sat in the center of the room, too far away from the desk to really serve a purpose.

Except for one.

Blake’s hand flew to Gambol Shroud as she spun, only now aware of the trap that had been neatly sprung. “I’m afraid it’s too late to run Blake,” Adam said quietly. He loomed in the doorway, face completely expressionless. Panic shot through Blake as memories of the Battle of Beacon came flying back. She could almost feel the pain in her side, her hand unconsciously moving to touch the scars. Adam smirked when he saw it. “I’m afraid it’s going to be much worse this time.”

Blake swallowed hard, working to control her fear. She was a huntress, not some frightened child. She knew she couldn't take Adam in a direct fight, not when she was alone. She had to bide her time, wait for the right moment and escape. She was terrified, but she couldn't let the fear control her. She thought of Yang, about how the girl would feel if something happened to Blake. She had to be smart about this. And right now, that plan meant she had to play the part of a terrified captive. 

At least the terror part would be easy.

She backed away from Adam as he entered the room. “Sit,” he commanded. “It will make things easier for you.”

She glared at him. “You mean easier for you,” she hissed, voice filled with venom. Adam sighed, and there was a sudden crack of gunfire. Before she could react Wilt slammed into her stomach, knocking her backward and making her aura flash briefly. Adam followed up right behind it, seizing her by the throat. Blake’s immediate instinct was to summon a clone and jump out of his grasp, but she forced it down. He was paying far too much attention for her to escape right now, even if she jumped toward the door. He was faster than her.

Besides, she knew he wouldn't kill her, not right away. For one her aura was still up, even after getting hit by Wilt it was still mostly there. Two, Adam liked to hear himself talk. Even if he did plan to kill her, and Blake had the unsettling feeling he did, he would want to gloat about it beforehand. He would beat her to break her aura if he needed to, but he wouldn't strike until the moment was dramatic enough for him. So she waited. Eventually, as part of whatever speech he had planned, he would turn away from her or get distracted. She would make her move then. Until that happened, she would just have to put up with him.

Using her neck as a handle, Adam slammed her into the chair. He then started to tie her hands to it, using a length of rope. Plain, regular rope. She had to fight to keep a look of confusion off her face. Surely he knew she could just use her semblance to escape it. She wouldn't complain though. Anything to help her plan. Adam finished tying her up, and stalked around to face her. He raised his hand, which now held a small knife, and swung at her. A sudden thought occurred to Blake. She quickly suppressed her aura. His blow connected, the sudden flare of pain blossomed from her cheek. She could feel a trickle of blood slowly making its way down to her jaw, dripping off onto her shirt. Adam smiled. “It appears that Ilia did her job well.”

_What?_ she thought. She had seen Ilia, but the girl had been facing away from her. They definitely hadn't fought.

“I figured she would have had more trouble, since you’ve been spending so much time with that human,” the last word was spat, dripping with hate, “but it appears that the girl is trustworthy.”

“What do you want Adam?” Blake said, more fear than she wanted creeping into her tone.

“For you to understand Blake,” he said calmly, “for you to truly understand what it is I do for our people.”

“You make them hate us Adam.”

He growled. “This is exactly what’s wrong, Blake! You’ve spent too much time around them, they’ve poisoned your mind.” His fists clenched in a triumphant gesture. “I make them **fear** us. It’s the only way we will be accepted as equals!”

“You killed innocent people at Beacon,” she said, her voice strained. “It won’t make them accept us. It will make them hunt us. You’re just making it worse!”

He looked at her, contempt clear on his face even through the mask. “You are too much like your father. You are too weak to do what needs to be done for our people.” The door opened softly and Ilia walked in. Adam turned to face her. “Well done,” he said, gesturing to Blake. Ilia looked at her, gray eyes going briefly wide when she saw the blood. She turned her head back to Adam and nodded.

“You see, Blake?” he asked, gesturing to Ilia, “This is what our people need. Someone who will do whatever is needed to fight for our cause.” 

“Someone who’s willing to betray old friends?” Blake asked, eyes locked on Ilia.

Ilia didn’t meet her eyes. “You betrayed me first Blake.”

“Someone who’s willing to fight for the cause, no matter what,” Adam said.

“And what exactly is your fight now Adam? Are you going to cause the deaths of more innocents? Or do you just plan to stab a few more girls?” Her voice was filled with fire now, her outrage at what Adam had done drowning out the fear.

“It’s much more than that, Blake.” He turned, like she had predicted, to face the desk. The only problem was that Ilia was here now. Sure, the girl hadn’t fought her like she was apparently supposed to, but Blake doubted she would just stand still while Blake escaped. Blake cursed to herself. “You see, for the last several months I’ve been working with a human. I know, it sounds distasteful, but it was a sacrifice I made for our revolution.”

“Yes, I’m sure it was horrible,” Blake said, her sarcasm tainted by the anger that was building inside her. Adam hit her, hard. She gasped in pain and the chair lurched from the force of the blow.

“And this human provided me with a wonderful weapon. You see, my people and I have spent a lot of time scattering bombs around the city. Small, but powerful. They’re centered mostly around the markets and residential areas.” He turned back, teeth bared. “The human casualties will be enormous.”

“What?!” Blake shouted. She was floored. She knew Adam was crazy, but this was a new level. An unbelievable number of innocent people would die. She looked at Ilia in shock, and thought she saw a flicker of shame. “Adam there will be children there,” she said, her voice pleading. 

“Human children, who would grow up to hate and persecute us.” 

Blake’s jaw dropped. She had to escape now, no matter what. People had to be told. “There’s no way Sienna would approve of a plan like that.”

Adam’s smile grew wider. “Oh yes, I know. She wanted to hit military targets, like the huntsman academy. Unfortunately, it seems that High Leader Khan had a problem with some Mistrali assassins.”

Blake’s eyes widened in shock. “Are you sure it’s wise to tell her our plans?" Ilia asked "She will definitely tell people if she escapes.”

“She’s not going to escape,” Adam said, a dangerous edge to his voice. “After she witnesses the fall of this city, she will die along with it.” He turned to face her. “Another casualty of the humans. A martyr for our cause.”

Ilia looked as stunned as Blake felt, but she covered it quickly. “I see.” She walked toward Blake, looking her over as she circled. “A fitting punishment for a traitor.” That stunned Blake even more. Ilia had been her friend. Now she wanted her to die? Had Adam corrupted her that much?

Her question was answered as Ilia walked behind her. She felt something small and hard drop into her hand. Curious, she squeezed it. Whatever it was, it was sharp. Ilia continued her circle, ending up in front of Blake again. The girl’s expression was unreadable. She turned to Adam. “With your permission, High Leader Taurus, I’d like to go prepare the troops for battle.” Adam dismissed her with a casual wave and she left.

He looked back to Blake. “That is what loyalty looks like, Blake.”

“No, it’s what cowardice looks like.”

Adam just smiled at her. “It really doesn't matter what you think. You’ll be dead soon anyway.” They sat in silence for a time, Adam keeping a close watch on her and Blake furiously looking for a way to get out and warn someone. Finally, Adam spoke. “Soon now, Blake. Soon this city will fall, and your death will be the catalyst that brings even your stubborn father to my side.”

“You won’t get away with this Adam. Someone will stop you,” she said, although she wasn't sure if she believed it.

“You don't understand Blake, it’s already begun.” A quiet thump shook the building slightly. “There, you see? Haven will fall, and the humans will be punished for what they’ve done to us.” Another, louder thump shook the building, this one more clearly an explosion. It was more violent this time, and it sounded closer. The sound was quickly followed by shouts and gunfire. Adam looked toward the door, his mouth drawing into a tight line. “What?” he spat, turning to walk toward the door. More shouts and explosions sounded, this time from inside the building. Adam growled and stalked toward the door.

As he reached out for the handle the door exploded inward violently, light spilling into the room. Adam was thrown backward by the force of it, Blake raised her aura to block the flying shards of the door. The smoke cleared and revealed a nimbus of shining flame surrounding a woman. Her eyes were a shade of deep red that Blake had never seen, and an expression of pure rage was written on her face. Her hair glowed a golden yellow that reminded Blake of the sun. Her gaze flicked to Blake, taking in the blood that had dried to Blake’s cheek, and her expression hardened even further. “Let her go,” Yang said, her voice hard as steel.


	17. Chapter 17

Adam stood up, brushing dust off of his clothes. His gaze turned to Yang and a derisive laugh burst from his mouth. “And why should I do that, human?” Yang growled and stepped forward, fists raising into a stance Blake knew all too well. Adam’s hand fell to his side, grasping the hilt of his sword. A wicked smile spread across his face.

Panicked, Blake acted. Before Yang could move, Blake had stopped suppressing her aura. She jumped, using her clone to throw herself at Adam. He saw her out of the corner of his eye, a snarl forming on his face as Blake slammed the shard of glass into his neck as hard as she could. It stopped millimeters away from his skin, a blood red flash emanating from his aura. Blake hadn’t expected to hurt him, she had just wanted to stop Yang from facing the devastating opening strike so many had fallen to. 

Adam’s hand locked onto her wrist and he twisted, slamming her into the ground. A pained grunt escaped her as she struck, stunning her momentarily. “Traitor!” Adam shouted as his hand fell again to his side. Blake heard the rasp of steel as the blade was drawn. Adam’s eyes burned as he glared down at her lying on the ground. He drove Wilt into the floor, shearing cleanly through Blake. The smoke dissipated, revealing splintered floorboards. Adam’s eyes flicked up to Blake, who had moved to the other side of the room and grabbed Gambol Shroud. 

A snarl split his lips, but his words were lost in a blaze of yellow flame. Yang, taking advantage of his distraction, slammed her fist into his face. Adam recovered quickly, finding his feet and bracing himself for Yang to strike again. Yang moved as if to swing, then pulled back at the last moment. Adam had moved to defend himself from her, leaving his other side open. Blake dashed in before he could draw, slashing at him viciously. Cursing, he narrowly avoided her attacks. 

Yang had taken up position behind Blake, and she let out a furious cry as she slammed a fist right through Blake. The clone burst into mist as Yang’s fist connected with its true target, throwing Adam off balance. Blake dashed in once again, but this time she had underestimated Adam. Regaining his footing in a flash, Adam stepped into her attack and caught Blake by the neck. He heaved, and Blake found herself crashing through a window and falling to the street below.

Blake spun, landing on her feet. Her aura flashed from the impact, but she wasn’t hurt. Worried, she looked up toward the shattered window. A flash of light and the muffled report of Ember Celica told her Yang was still fighting. Barely a second later a ball of fire exploded out of the room they had been in, the concussion shattering several windows. A figure in black was hurled out, but Adam spun and landed heavily on his feet.

Yang slammed into the ground next to black, shattering the paving stones. She glanced over at Blake and nodded. Blake nodded back and they dashed to either side, flanking Adam. Blake stepped in for a feint when the air around them shattered.

A thunderous wave of explosions ripped the evening silence to shreds. Fireballs blossomed across the city as the ground shook. The flames lit Adam’s face as he spread his arms wide. “Do you see Blake? Kingdoms tremble at the might of the faunus. We have brought low two of humankind’s great cities. We have shown that we cannot be ignored!” As if to punctuate his insanity, a chorus of howls shrieked through the night. The sound came from the throats of many different monsters but the stab of fear it caused meant only one thing. The Grimm had come.

Blake was paralyzed with shock, but Yang stepped forward with a snarl. “You lunatic! Do you know how many innocent people are going to die?”

The flames played across Adam’s form, making him look even more unhinged as he grinned. “There are no innocent humans. You are all responsible for the things done to our people!” With a sharp rasp he drew Wilt from its sheath. “I am the instrument of justice! I will tear down the oppressive world the humans have created!” He pointed the sword at Yang. “Starting with you.”

* * *

Ruby crouched in the shadows between two roofs, staring down at the entrance to Haven Academy. The fading sunlight made it easier for her and Raven to blend in. The sounds of evening were starting to fade as people made their way home. A few guards stood at the gates of Haven, but they seemed to be more for show than anything. The school was all but abandoned, as the trainees wouldn't be returning for months. 

Raven spoke, breaking the silence. “I see you’ve finally gotten rid of the cape.” Her eyes studied Ruby, who remained silent. “Good. I never could get your mother to do that. It’s a danger in combat.”

“Did you bring me here for a reason?” Ruby said, pointedly ignoring Raven’s comment about her mother.

“We’re waiting. Their real target is here.” Ruby opened her mouth to speak, but a series of explosions interrupted her. She spun to see plumes of fire erupting across the city as the fading sunlight was briefly outshone. The shrieks of Grimm cut through the sound, promising death for many of the people of Mistral. Another explosion from behind her nearly threw Ruby off her feet. She spun to see the CCT tower topple over, its support structure blown away. The guards at the gate began to panic, running toward a group of nearby people who had been hit with shrapnel. “Now!” Raven hissed.

Raven lept from the tower, changing into a bird as she did. She made a beeline for the administration building at the base of the tower. The building had begun to burn, the flames licking at the tops of the entryway. Ruby grumbled and shot off after her as fast as she could. 

She never made it into the building. A wall of ice suddenly appeared in front of her and Ruby pulled herself to a stop before she ran headlong into it. She hit the ground, hard. A voice, devoid of all emotion, came from behind her, “Your traitor uncle isn’t here to save you this time, murderer.” A howling wind, as cold as the worst winter Ruby had ever experienced, sprung up around her. She sighed and slipped into her semblance again, breaching the cloud before the storm could get too rough. 

She was prepared for the ice wall this time, and managed a much more graceful landing. “The city is burning and you’re here instead?”

Winter spoke again, her steady voice tainted with fury. “It is my duty as a soldier of Atlas to bring in the monster behind this, and behind the fall of Beacon. If you do not resist, you will not be harmed.” There was a sharp ring as Winter drew her sword and pointed it at Ruby. “Feel free to resist.”

* * *

“You monster!” Yang shouted as she launched forward. Blake sighed and went in, coming at Adam from another direction. Yang was a skilled fighter, but she had trouble realizing when she was out of her depth. Blake had realized this early on in their training together, and learned to take advantage of it. Yang was, in several ways, a large target. It was hard to ignore a tall woman with a massive mane of hair flying directly at your face. Especially the times, like now, that she was literally on fire. Blake preferred to strike from the shadows. Usually it was difficult to do that in the middle of a pitched battle, but Yang managed to provide plenty of distraction. They fought well together.

Adam was a problem though. He was by far the most skilled fighter that they had fought, outside of training. His first slash knocked Yang’s fist out of the way, and he followed it up by smashing his sheath into Yang’s stomach. Her aura flashed and she tumbled to the ground, rolling quickly back up into a fighting stance. Blake was luckier, she managed to get a couple of quick slashes in before he turned and began to fire. The first shot winged her as she rolled out of the way, dodging the second and catching the third on her blade.

Adam stepped toward Blake, coming in with a powerful overhand swing. Blake tapped into the fire dust round she had loaded earlier, and left behind an unstable clone. Too far into the attack to pull back, Wilt struck. The clone detonated, throwing him back. He slammed into one of the columns at the embassy entrance, his aura flashing once again. Blake wondered how much he had left. They’d hit him pretty hard a few times.

Yang was on him immediately, hitting him a couple of times before he caught her with another slash. Blake tried to jump in and save her, but Adam was ready. She ducked under Wilt only to find a boot flying toward her face. The kick connected and she stumbled back, dazed. She used a clone to dodge out of the way of the follow up, and spared a moment to check her scroll. Her aura wasn’t bad, considering how the evening had gone so far. What concerned her was Yang. She only had twenty percent of her aura left. She must have taken some pretty bad hits before she’d knocked him out of the window. She was too close to the danger zone, one more decent strike and Adam would be able to cut through her remaining aura.

Blake tried to signal Yang about her aura levels. The blonde warrior must have caught on, because she smirked and then threw a wink at Blake. She took a step back and slammed her fists together, throwing off a plume of golden flame. Her eyes had been red since she’d shown up, but now the glow from her hair made the flames ravaging the city look dull by comparison. She threw her fists behind her and fired, launching forward.

* * *

Ruby drew Crescent Rose, her eyes locked on Winter. She was starting to feel the heat from the flames that were consuming the buildings around them, making their shadows dance and flicker across the ground. “I suppose there’s no chance you’ll believe me when I say I had nothing to do with this?” she asked. She knew for certain that Winter was here to kill her, but she wanted to put the fight off for as long as possible. There was almost no chance of her being able to defeat Winter alone. Raven’s training had been brutally effective, but there was nothing Ruby could do to make up for the huge gulf in experience. She had to think of a way to escape. Raven had flown off to do who knew what, and Ruby didn’t get the feeling that she would return any time soon. If at all.

“Officially?” Winter asked, her rage peeking through her stony facade, “That isn’t for me to decide. I was instructed to do whatever possible to bring you in for questioning.” Her hand tightened on the grip of her sword and Ruby could almost hear the metal creak. “Unofficially however, I do not care.” A brilliant glyph appeared behind her, similar to the ones Weiss used to use. “You killed my little sister. The only true family I ever had.” Winter’s jaw tightened and her feet shifted slightly. “I am going to kill you, Ruby Rose, and to hell with any consequences.” With that she shot forward at an incredible speed, the paving stones cracking behind her.

Ruby barely got out of the way in time. If she hadn’t had her semblance, Winter would have plowed into her at full speed. Ruby didn’t know if her aura could withstand such an attack. As it stood, Winter had merely driven her sword nearly a foot into the ground. A web of cracks had spread out from the point of impact. Winter had shattered the stone like it was glass. 

Winter charged at Ruby again. Without the glyph she seemed to be slower, but she was still incredibly fast. It was all Ruby could do to keep from getting hit. She was having to draw on her semblance to move fast enough, and she knew that was a bad thing. Winter could survive a battle of attrition like that. Ruby would drain her aura just defending herself. But Winter was far too fast, far too controlled for Ruby to even attempt to go on the offensive.

Ruby had an idea. It was something she’d seen people do to Yang a couple of times during sparring classes. It was dangerous, but it was the only thing she could think of. It was also revolting and monstrous. She cursed herself for what she was about to do. Keeping the fear out of her voice as much as possible, Ruby said, “Well, at least you’re better at this than Weiss was. It was a whole lot easier killing her.”

There was a slight, stunned pause in Winter’s attacks. Her face turned to Ruby, still stony and largely emotionless. Then her composure broke. Her face twisted into a mask of pure rage. She screamed, a primal sound of anguish and fury that scared Ruby and broke her heart at the same time.

A series of glyphs appeared around Ruby and it suddenly seemed like there were a dozen different Winters attacking her. She pushed herself as far as she could and managed to dodge them, taking only a few glancing hits. Her speed had been insane and her attacks ferocious, but her aim had also been just slightly off. Ruby hardened her heart, knowing that what she was doing was unforgivable. But she had to survive. She had to be strong. The strong lived, and the weak died.

“Weiss’ loneliness made it so much easier to trick her into being my friend. Maybe if her family had been there for her more often, it would have been harder to me to get her to let her guard down. Maybe it would have been harder for me to run my scythe through her chest.”

Winter howled again, thrusting her blade into the ground with all her might. Huge cracks spread out from her, turning the courtyard to rubble. Ruby heard the administration building begin to creak as its foundation was shattered. Iridescent light began to emanate from the cracks, and Ruby found herself facing a small army of Grimm.

The Grimm charged at her as one, a mass of pale fury. Ruby flared her eyes, knowing that it wouldn't really affect the Grimm. She just needed the boost. They managed to chip away at her remaining aura, but their attacks were all fury and no focus. Wild Grimm seemed to coordinate better. Ruby slipped fully into her semblance, pulling a wall of wind with her. The shattered courtyard suddenly became a storm of small rocks flying about wildly as Ruby moved around the battlefield. The pale Grimm were ripped to shreds, the army falling apart beneath the onslaught of Crescent Rose and the flying stones.

Ruby landed in front of the administration building, panting. She turned to see Winter rising, sweat dripping from her face. Ruby steeled herself. Forgive me, Weiss. “It took me hours to clean her blood off of my scythe.”

Another glyph appeared behind Winter, spinning so quickly it resembled a shining disk. Ruby dodged out of the way, feeling Winter’s rapier clip her on the shoulder as the woman flew past. She crashed into the building, which had finally had enough. With a thunderous rumble, the administration building and the ruins of the CCT tower crumbled on top of Winter Schnee. Ruby stared for a moment at the burning rubble, shocked. There was no way Winter had survived that, not with how intensely she’d been using her aura. A part of Ruby was horrified at having killed yet another person. She pushed that side of her away. She didn't have time for that now. Winter’s own carelessness had gotten her killed anyway. 

The strong lived, the weak died.

Moving quickly, Ruby ran off into the night. Silver shone faintly around her eyes. There were Grimm to kill.

* * *

Yang’s speed and intensity, all energy she’d gotten from the hits he had inflicted on her, seemed to surprise Adam. She was inside his guard before he was able to react, and she landed a couple of hits on him, his aura flashing with each strike. Unfortunately, Adam was quick to recover. He dodged to the side, striking Yang on the back of the head with Blush. He spun, swinging Wilt, and Blake’s worst fear came true. 

Adam cut a long, shallow line up Yang’s back. Her aura hadn’t broken, but it wasn't strong enough to stop the entire strike. Yang screamed in pain and fell to the ground. Blake found herself moving across the street before she was even aware of it, screaming Yang’s name. Adam spun and kicked Blake as hard as he could sending her flying back. Desperately, she threw Gambol Shroud. The weapon connected, cracking the mask he still wore. Red lightning flickered over Adam, fading to nothing.

“I’ll deal with you in a moment Blake,” he said coldly, moving to where Yang fell. “But first I’m going to make you watch me slaughter this human bitch.” Blake raised Gambol shroud, shifting it to it’s pistol form and pointing it at Adam. He looked back at her and smiled wickedly. “We both know you won’t do it Blake.” He turned back to Yang and raised Wilt high, the point directly over her heart. Yang’s eyes were wide with fear. “You never could kill anyone.” He thrust down.

A single gunshot rang out, the sound heard clearly over the surrounding fire and the cries of Grimm and men. Adam’s hand reached up to feel the bloody hole in his throat. He started to turn back toward Blake, but fell to the ground, Wilt tumbling harmlessly to the side. He looked at Blake, confusion in his eyes. “You’re right Adam, I never could kill,” she said, a tear falling down her face as she looked back to Yang. “Not for you.”

Adam made a gargling noise as he tried to speak, his blood staining the street. Then he lay still. Yang looked up at Blake, her expression relieved and strangely sad. “Blake, -”

Blake cut her off. “It was worth it Yang. I couldn’t ever bring myself to kill for him, or the White Fang.” She walked over to Yang and helped the girl up. Yang gathered her up in a hug that made her ribs creak. “But I can do it to save people.” She put her hand on Yang’s cheek, wiping away a tear. “I can do it to save you.”

“How very touching,” a voice said. It sounded familiar, yet strange. Like silk dragged over gravel. They turned to see a tall woman in a red dress striding toward them. In one hand she held a ball of wicked looking fire. The other was hidden by the single long sleeve of her dress. “How fortunate,” Cinder purred. “I may not have found the red brat, but I have found something I can take from her.” An evil smile spread across her face.

“You!” Yang screamed. Her eyes flared red and she let go of Blake, firing herself toward Cinder. Time seemed to slow as Blake watched things unfold. Yang flew at Cinder, unrestrained rage on her face. Cinder swung her hand through the air a torrent of fire pouring out of it as she did. The edge of the fire caught Yang, shattering her aura and throwing her like a leaf in a storm. Blake watched her slam into once of the columns of the building behind them, a sickening snap ringing through the night.

Yang fell to the ground, limp and unmoving.

Cinder sighed, a noise full of sick pleasure. “That’s better.” She turned to Blake, more flame gathering in her hand. “Only one more left.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I'm back. Again.
> 
> The last few months have been weird. Moving and getting a new job (along 2 wonderful massive back-to-back projects right away) have left me busy. I also kinda fell out of the FNDM for a while. I've (mostly) gotten things together again, and I'm trying to get back to a once per week schedule. This story is close to wrapping up, but I do have some other ideas.
> 
> I also feel kinda bad for what Ruby did this chapter. But you know what they say, writers have to be sadists (toward their characters anyway, I promise I'm perfectly pleasant in real life).


	18. Chapter 18

Cinder slowly strode forward. Blake had Gambol Shroud pointed at her, but she didn't think that it would accomplish much. Cinder appeared to know that too, as she was taking her time. Blake glanced back at Yang. She hadn’t moved since Cinder had thrown her. Blake was too far away to see if she was still breathing. She just hoped that the snap she’d heard hadn’t been Yang’s neck.

“Oh please, do check on her,” Cinder purred. “I’d hate to think she was already dead. I had so much fun planned.” She stopped and waited, the fire dancing in her eyes. “Go on, child. If I were going to kill you out of hand we wouldn’t be speaking right now.”

Never letting Cinder out of her line of sight, Blake slowly moved to check on Yang. Mercifully, the young woman was still breathing. It was shallow, but Blake could definitely feel it. She felt a surge of joy at finding Yang alive, but it was quickly crushed by the rest of the situation. Even if Yang had been conscious the odd bend of her thigh told Blake the she wouldn't be walking anytime soon, let alone running from a murderous psychopath.

Blake could probably carry her though. The problem was escaping Cinder. She couldn't just pick up Yang and run, not if what Qrow had told them about the powers that a maiden could use. Cinder would likely kill both of them before she even made it around a corner. Her semblance didn't seem to be of much use here either. It might let Blake escape, but she would rather die than leave Yang behind. She had never tried to leave behind a clone of anyone else before either. She wasn't sure if she could do it. Pushing her semblance that far might be too much, it might even make her black out. That would be a fate much worse than dying in battle.

There was no good choice to be made here. A fight with Cinder would end almost before it began. Blake was on her own, and though she had gotten better she was nowhere near that level. She had to make a choice though. Blake grabbed Yang and reached for her semblance. Pain stabbed through her head jumped, feeling Yang come with her. There was no time to see if it had worked, Blake just ran. 

She had only made it a few feet when a curtain of flame erupted from the ground in front of her. Blake felt herself break into a sweat as she stumbled to a stop, desperately clutching onto Yang. She turned to see Cinder again pacing toward her. “Clever,” she said, “but we can’t have you escaping so easily can we?” The flame in her hand twisted, shifting to resemble a curved sword. “As I said, I have plans for both of you.”

Blake gently set Yang on the ground, as far away from the sweltering flames as possible. She turned to face Cinder. She knew she was likely to die, but maybe help would come if she delayed long enough. Qrow and Taiyang were around somewhere, as was JNR. They had to have been in the embassy. There was no way that Taiyang would have let Yang come alone. “Why do you even care about us? Why would you come to Mistral just to hunt us down?”

Cinder smiled, her eyes glittering. “You overestimate your importance. This plan was set in motion long before you arrived here. This is merely good fortune on my part.” Her smile fell, anger showing through. “A small victory in the face of a greater defeat.”  
“How is this a defeat?” Blake asked, gesturing to the burning city. “The city is in chaos. The Grimm are here. This is just like Vale.”

Cinder’s expression got even darker. “More than you will ever know.” The smile spread slowly across her face once again. “Of course, soon all you will know is pain. And I will have the pleasure of taking something from that little red bitch.” She raised the sword into a mocking salute, and strode toward Blake. She swallowed, wondering if help would arrive too late.

As if he heard her thoughts, Jaune came charging through the inferno. His face was twisted in an expression of rage that Blake had never seen. He ran right past Blake and started to swing at Cinder, seemingly heedless of the danger to himself. Cinder didn't appear to care at all. She stepped out of the way of each of his attacks, an almost lustful smile on her face, not even bothering to parry. She didn't need to. Jaune had gotten a lot better since Blake had first met him, but he was still hilariously outclassed. His arrival just meant that three people would die.

“You are out of your league little boy,” she purred. “Nowhere near as good as the last member of your team I fought.” Blake swore softly. As she had expected, Jaune drew back for a powerful, and obvious, swing. He screamed as he slashed, the strike aimed to remove Cinder’s head. She casually caught the blade. Jaune struggled, but his sword might as well have been stuck in stone. Cinder smiled. “So far out of your league.” Jaune’s sword began to glow softly in her hand. Cinder opened her mouth to speak, and then suddenly let go of the sword. She leaped backward as Nora came crashing down, her hammer leaving a small crater in the street.

Cinder spun and grabbed the blade of one of Ren’s guns, tossing him aside. Ren stood up, falling into a stance next to his teammates. They formed a barrier between Cinder and Blake, their weapons raised. Cinder’s smile was unfaltering. “What luck. I’ll be able to kill all of the girl’s friends in one day. I can’t imagine the pain that this will cause her,” she said, her tone darkly enthusiastic.

“Why do you hate Ruby so much?” Blake shouted. “What could she have possibly done to you?”

Cinder eyes fell on Blake, burning with hatred. “I let that child into my confidence. I exposed to her the truth of how the world works. I forged her into a blade that struck deep into the heart of my enemies. And this is how she repaid me!” Cinder ripped the sleeve of her dress off, exposing a shadowy arm attached to the stump of her human one. Tipped with wicked-looking claws, it reminded Blake of a geist. Greasy black smoke rose from it. “And now I will take my rightful vengeance.”

She threw a huge ball of fire into the center of team JNR, scattering them. Nora fired several grenades, only to see them frozen in mid-air with a swing of Cinder’s arm. They fell to the ground in a series of harmless thunks. Ren fired at her, but his shots were ineffective. Cinder raised her hand and the bullets shattered against an invisible barrier. Jaune had taken advantage of Ren and Nora’s distraction and circled behind. He came in with a powerful overhand slice, his sword held in both hands. Cinder rasied the Grimm arm to block it.

The sword bit deeply into the monstrous flesh and a scream tore from Cinder’s throat. She batted Jaune aside with a burst of wind, clutching her arm. Blake realized what had just happened before anyone else did. “It’s a creature of Grimm! Her aura can’t protect that arm!” she shouted. She started to leap into the battle, but held herself back. Yang was helpless. If Blake moved then Cinder would have an easy time killing her.

Cinder seemed to realize this too. She reached out toward Blake with her inhuman arm, the sickening thing stretching out to grab her. Blake stood her ground, well aware that her aura was low. She couldn't let anything else happen to Yang. She watched in terror as the arm flew toward her, it’s claws heading for her throat.

And then Jaune was there, slamming into Cinder’s arm with his shield. She missed Blake entirely, instead gouging out a chunk of a nearby building. “Move Yang out of the way!” he shouted, running back toward the fight. Blake looked around. There was nowhere to hide her. Despite the fact that she was involved in a pitched battle, Cinder’s curtain of flame was still up. Even standing several feet away Blake could feel the heat coming off it. There was no way that Yang would survive going through that, not without aura. Blake would have to stand her ground, taking any blows meant for Yang.

She turned her attention back to the battle. Ren and Nora were on the offensive, going after Cinder with everything they had. Jaune was running interference, knocking aside or catching deadly blows meant for his teammates. Cinder was far more skilled than the three of them put together, but she had to be careful of her Grimm arm. It was a powerful weapon, but it was also a weakness. The fact that aura couldn't protect it was probably the only reason that they were still alive. This battle was loud, if they held on long enough help was sure to come. Maybe they could survive this.

“Enough!” Cinder screamed, throwing her arms out and flinging team JNR away. Flame engulfed her human eye, somehow filled with hatred. Cinder spread her arms out and rose into the sky, a wild wind whipping up around her. Lightning began to strike randomly, forcing them to keep moving. Blake stood over Yang, ready to shield the unconscious girl. The wind began to pick up small chunks of rock, thrown everywhere by the recent battles, and hurl them at everyone. Nora fired another grenade, and this time it exploded. Cinder merely waved her hand and caught the explosion, flinging it back at Nora. She was thrown backward, crashing into the wall behind her.

The truth hit Blake like an ursa. Cinder had never been in any danger at all. She had been toying with them, letting them have some small hope of victory. Now the power of the maiden was unleashed, and Blake knew they were all going to die. She looked down at Yang. “I’m so sorry. There are so many things I need to say to you, but I don't seem to have time anymore.” She felt tears start to roll down her face, hot and bitter. There was so much she wanted to do and wanted to say. But looking up at Cinder, she knew she didn't have time. A ball of deadly, crackling energy was forming in Cinder’s fingertips. Thick bolts of lightning were already striking at JNR, forcing them to be on the move constantly.

The fight was over. They were all going to die.

Cinder smiled at Blake. She moved to unleash the final strike. And then an argent comet fell from the sky, smashing into the ground in an explosion of silver light. Cinder screamed as the light touched her. Ruby stood in the crater, scythe held at the ready. Cinder flew backward, past the edge of Ruby’s light. She stared down at Ruby with hate filled eyes, her Grimm arm wreathed with silver flames. Then she fled. The night fell eerily silent. 

Ruby looked around at them, apparently assessing damage. Her eyes fell to Yang, and worry started to show. She looked back up at the direction Cinder had fled, closing her eyes and sighing. She turned to Blake and said, “I’m sorry.” Without another word she spun back into her semblance, flying away into the night.

* * *

Blake sat in the hospital room, trying to read. She hadn’t gotten very far. Her eyes flicked to the bed every few seconds. The room was uncomfortably sterile feeling. The light seemed to reflect off her book in an oppressive way, adding to the unease and worry that Blake had been feeling for the last few days. The couch was nearby, the pillows and blankets the nurse had brought her folded and stacked neatly on an armrest. Her dinner lay mostly uneaten on the table next to her. The slight breeze coming in the window was the only comforting thing in this room.

The doctors had assured her that Yang would be fine. The break was clean and her aura was strong, so she should heal quickly. She just had to have a cast on for a while. Yang was definitely not going to like using the crutches that were propped near her bed. Qrow had been in to check on Yang several times, as had Taiyang. The wound on his face stood out starkly, but his aura should make the scar minimal. JNR had been here too, but they had left when the nurse informed them that visiting hours were over. They tried to get Blake to leave but had left her alone after she had glared threateningly at them without saying a word. Taiyang had probably helped with that too.

Blake looked out the window into Mistral. The damage hadn’t been too bad, all things considered. Qrow and Taiyang had taken Ilia’s warning seriously and managed to destroy or disable many of the bombs before they could go off. The Atlesian military, this time men instead of robots, had helped contain the Grimm. The loss of the CCT tower was going to be a problem, but overall the city was fairly safe. Atlas had promised to help build a new tower, much like they were in Vale.

The school on the other hand, had burned to the ground. Luckily, since classes hadn’t started yet, there were only two bodies found in the wreckage. Winter Schnee had been found, crushed and burned, in the wreckage of the administration building. Headmaster Lionheart had been found too, although he had apparently been killed before the building collapsed. Nobody really knew what had killed either of them.

“Is that how I looked when you woke up?” Yang asked suddenly. Before Blake had any time to think, she had thrown herself across the room and wrapped her arms around Yang. She felt the other girl’s arms tighten around her and started to cry. 

“You’re awake. I was so worried. But you’re awake now.” The words were muffled a little, since Blake’s face was buried into Yang’s shoulder. They laid there for a moment like that, neither one speaking. Eventually, Blake sat up and wiped the tears from her eyes, a wry smile on her face. “And what’s wrong with the way I look?”

“Last time you looked like that I had to lure you away from the library with a laser pointer.” 

Blake smiled, remembering her obsession. “That was the first time you tried to mother me.”

“And apparently not the last,” Yang said, smiling back. “You look like you could use a few weeks of sleep.” Her tone was light, but there was also concern there. Leave it to Yang to be more worried about someone else, even if she was in a hospital bed.

“In a little while. I promise. I just want to spend some time with you first.” Blake needed to make sure Yang was okay. They spoke for a while, and Blake filled Yang in on what happened. “And then she just flew away.”

“Did Cinder escape?” Yang asked. The mention of Ruby had brought some sadness to Yang’s expression, and Blake almost regretted telling her the story. But she knew telling Yang everything was the right thing to do.

“She did,” a new voice said softly. Blake turned to see Ruby standing near the window. Her clothes were torn and bloody, the young huntress obviously worn out from the evening.

“Ruby!” Yang shouted. She grabbed the crutches and made her way over to Ruby surprisingly quickly for someone with a broken leg. She threw her arms around her younger sister in a crushing hug. Ruby didn’t hug back. Yang let her go and stepped back, her expression still wondrously happy.

“I can’t stay for long,” Ruby said.

“If it’s about what happened at Beacon, uncle Qrow thinks -”

Ruby held up a hand and cut her off. “It’s not that, Yang. That’s part of it, but there’s a lot more going on too. I need to stop it. I just came to say good bye.”

Blake watched Yang’s face fall. “Ruby?” Yang asked, her voice small. Tears had welled up in her violet eyes.

Ruby’s face might as well have been made of stone. “Don’t come looking for me.” Without another word she lept through the window, using her semblance to fly into the night.

Blake watched helplessly as Yang’s heart broke. She caught Yang as she fell and helped her back into her bed. The fire had left her eyes and she stared out the window. Blake held her as she started to cry, the tears staining her shirt. Blake stared out the window, anger burning in her chest. She would never forgive Ruby for what she had done.

# The End of Part Two


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